My Chemical Romance
by CSI1983
Summary: Someone has been watching Sara, falling more and more in love with her. What will happen when the obsession reaches breaking point?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: _This story is dedicated to my best friend Evelyn (fanfic name 'Skylar Felton'), who was also the beta reader. What makes her so great is that she hates CSI with the fire of a thousand suns, and yet when I mentioned my previous author experience, which came with disheartening reviews, she went out of her way to surprise me with the newly edited version of my story. So Evelyn this is for you honey, Love you lots! Oh and also these are not my characters…..if they were I would not be living with my parents! Also I titled the chapters after songs, so at the end of each chapter I will give the artist and song, so that I don't get sued._

Chapter One – Have a Little Faith

The night shift of LA's CSI unit sat around a table in the break room awaiting their boss's arrival, when they would hear their assignments.

"You know what? I really wish that when Grissom wants us to be here, he is here as well."

Sara Sidle looked around at the small cluster of people sitting around the table. Meeting the small group's disapproving gaze, she slumped back into her seat.

"I know, I know. He's Grissom."

Sara let her head lean against the back of her seat, feeling more and more impatient. Grissom had called them all into the office - on her day off at that - telling them to high-tail it. She had grabbed her keys and cell phone, and had arrived at the office in record time, only to find he wasn't there.

Tired of staring at the ceiling, she let her gaze wander to the fellow occupants of the room - the other members of the small night shift. To her right sat Catherine Willows, single mother and senior CSI. Tonight she wore her shoulder length strawberry-blonde hair down, and she was dressed in a grey slack suit, with a light red top.

To her left sat Nick Stokes, and next to him Warrick Brown, each wearing a pair of black pants, and a shirt. They were two very contrasting characters - Warrick being quiet and serious, while Nick was the joker of the pair. Warrick, who had smooth brown skin and a slight afro, and Nick, sporting short brown hair and an easy - almost lazy - grin, were very good friends. Only one member of their small team was missing, and that was what was making Sara so fidgety.

"No separate cases tonight, we are on a mass murder," a new voice sliced the air. "No survivors and no witnesses. We need to solve this one, and quickly."

Gil Grissom walked into the room without any pleasantries, knowing there was no time for it. "Let's get to work."

Without a backward glance he left the room, knowing full well that his small hard-working team would follow. Separating into two company vehicles - Sara and Grissom in one Tahoe, Nick, Warrick and Catherine in the other.

The crime scene was down a quiet street that seemed free of malevolence at first - but the home became apparent within seconds, bathed with hundreds of reporters and flashing lights, beacons for the CSIs.

After parking the vehicles and collecting their field kits the team met Jim Brass, lead Homicide Detective, at the front step after pushing their way through the reporters and ducking under the 'crime scene' tape.

Brass looked less conspicuous then the rest of the team did in their forensic gear, as he was dressed in a dark blue suit with a grey tie. The only giveaway that he was any different from the civilians was the gun in a sling at his side, and the police badge that was fixed to his breast pocket. Its position, Sara presumed, was to save time that would otherwise be spent with the copious badge-flashing that was required to gain access to a crime scene.

"Hey guys," started Detective Brass. "The low-down is that there are five dead – four adults and one teenager. The teenager's upstairs - the others, down. The dining room is a bit of a blood bath, and it looks like the bodies were re-positioned after the event took place. The victims are Frank Gordon, Helena Gordon, Deborah Gordon, Barry Snow and Patricia Snow."

Brass moved slightly out of the way, to allow the CSIs to have full access.

"I'll be sorting out the reporters," the detective informed them. "Page me if I'm required." With that, he turned on his heel and was swallowed by the masses. Grissom began handing out the team's duties.

"Catherine and Warrick, I want you on the outer perimeter. Nick and Sara, you're with me."

Catherine and Warrick nodded, wordlessly separating - one going to the right and the other to the left, cameras and forensic cases in hand. Nick and Sara followed Grissom into the dark house, narrow beams of torchlight to guide them. Sara automatically started breathing through her mouth, the sickeningly heavy and coppery smell of blood almost overwhelming her, coatingher in the stench of death.

Directly to their left was a large living room with heavy red drapes. A large oak storage unit that housed an entertainment system dominated the far side of the room. A coffee table, a lounge suite and two paintings made up the rest of the room. Neighbouring this was the kitchen, a door separating the two areas. The kitchen was a mess, with remains of a dinner. Pots and plates were piled on benches on both sides of the sink, which was also filled with signs of busy living.

"Somebody doesn't believe in washing as they go," Nick murmured in a low voice. Grissom flashed him a look that he seemed to reserve for times like these - when his young CSIs exhibited humour proved too sophomoric for his own personal tastes. Sara followed Nick and Grissom into the dining room, which was directly adjacent to the kitchen. There sat four bodies - two male and two female, surrounded by blood.

"Sara, photos," Grissom cued his colleague, and Sara immediately started clicking away, taking shots of the blood splattered on the walls, table and bookcase. As she was taking the required photos, Sara took in the apparent peacefulness on the victims' faces - almost as if they were only sleeping, and not lying brutally slain.

"They have been posed. The blood-splatter is not just limited to the floor and the table, as you would expect. It's everywhere. There are no defence wounds that I can see on the women but the men look like they put up a bit of a fight."

Grissom nodded as he broke one of his own rules and switched on the dining room light, which the killers had left off. The splatter looked much worse than Sara had initially thought, and she noticed for the first time how covered in blood the table was.

"Their throats were cut." Sara knelt down by one of the female victims and confirmed what she'd seen by the flash of her camera - no wounds whatsoever on the women's hands… nothing.

"We can figure that out later," Grissom concluded. "We need to see our other victim first."

Following him up the stairs directly behind their current crime scene, Sara let her torch guide her as the dining room light became dimmer and dimmer.

At the top of the stairs was a narrow hallway with three doors. One, they soon found out, opened into a spotless bathroom, and another to a linen closest. The third was at the end of the hall, and was decorated with teenage flair. Signs on the door declared, "Parental Units Not Welcomed," and "The Bitch Switch Is On."

Grissom pushed the door open and the three CSIs allowed their torchlight to dance around the room. Grissom switched on the light and they were faced with another deliberately posed body. Lying on the bed, hands across her chest and her feet crossed, was a young lady. The only giveaway that she was dead was the bullet hole that had made an entry just below her hairline. There was blood splatter on the desk that sat in the corner and a little on the wall, which Sara immediately took shots of. She then moved over to the body and started taking pictures of the pose and the wound.

"No defence wounds on this one either," Sarah concluded.

She glanced at Grissom and waited for a comment. She received none. Sara turned her focus back to the body. She had a nagging feeling that she was missing something, and the evasive thought was starting to irritate her. Why did she find the body so familiar? Then her brain clicked into overdrive. _That's it! _She grabbed Nick's wrist.

"This is the rape victim Catherine and I had a couple of months ago," Sara exclaimed. "Her ex-boyfriend raped her in her own bed."

Grissom came up behind her and confirmed her memory.

"The boyfriend is still on trial, isn't he? Well, they just lost a key witness." Grissom returned to the desk and began rifling through the papers on it.

A loud insistent sound filled the small room, and they all jumped slightly then checked their cell phones. Grissom's was the winner.

"Grissom… Ok, thanks."

Hanging up, he looked at Nick and Sara. "Coroner's here."

Some hours later, Catherine, Warrick, Nick, Sara and Grissom had gathered in the boardroom, back at the lab. Grissom had pinned up pictures of the five victims, with their names and ages across the bottom. Having taken her collected samples to Greg Sanders - the lab technician/wannabe-CSI, Sara was glad to get down to the guts of the investigation.

"So we have five victims," Grissom surmised. "The interviews that Brass did showed that the two couples were very good friends who met for dinner once a week. The Snows had no children and Helena was the Gordon's only child. There was no forced entry that could be found and the bodies were very obviously posed. There were no weapons found at the scene, or around it, but there were definitely two weapons used." He pointed to the photo of Helen's body.

Nick shook his head. "Why use two weapons? Isn't that a waste of energy and effort on the killer's part? I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but guns seem to be easier for the job. Slitting someone's throat takes a lot of effort, and it means having to get very close to the victim."

Catherine shook her head at Nick. "It would make sense if there was more than one killer. Warrick and I found numerous footprints going to and from the house, and judging by the lack of defence wounds on the women, my guess is that they were killed first. But then that begs the question of what Helena was doing at the time. The men fought back, so surely there would have been some noise. I don't know about you, but if I heard uproar in my house, I would go and investigate."

Grissom nodded his agreement with Catherine.

"Good point," he said, "but we need to follow what we are here to follow. The evidence is pointing to the most obvious suspect we have… Helena's ex-boyfriend and rapist, even though he is in prison. He still has friends on the outside, or he could have even made some on the inside, with connections who could rid him of his problem. So we need to gather all the information we can about this case. Sara and Cath, I need you to go and dig up the old file and go over it the same way you would a crime scene - no clue too small or too insignificant."

He pointed at Warrick and Nick. "You two need to head over to Greg's and see what he's pulled up." Grissom then sat back and watched as his team dispersed, and rubbed his eyes, knowing what this case would mean. Long hours and overtime.

After inspecting with Catherine the case file of Helena's rape for over two hours, Sara decided to hunt down Grissom to see what he had found out, and to share her own information. She found him in one of the empty interview rooms, and paused to quietly watch as he focused with his normal intensity, blind to anything not relating to his current obsession.

He only looked up when Sara cleared her throat, startling him out of his thoughts. Sara smothered a smile that threatened her when she saw the smudge of icing sugar above his lip. She leaned over and snapped up the napkin that sat beside him, and gently wiped away the white powder.

Grissom looked slightly taken aback, then his business mode kicked in.

"Nothing new on this front I'm afraid. No new leads as of yet."

Grissom watched as Sara took a seat across from him and snagged one of the doughnuts in the middle of the table. She looked tired, he noted to himself distractedly.

Sara looked over the pictures that were still pinned to the board on the far side of the room, the wheels turning in her head.

"Helena's rapist has yet to complete his trial - it got halted because new evidence came forward… from the neighbour." Sara stood up, walked over to the board, and picked up the black whiteboard maker that was connected by a fixed magnet.

Grissom sat back, hands prayer-style, and watched while Sara made the connections, still after all these years admiring how the young woman's mind worked.

"According to the report," Sarah was continuing, "the neighbour was threatened by the ex-boyfriend's goons, but the guilt must have gotten to her because two weeks later she walked into the police station and spilled the whole story. So that connects the families - which means that we have a motive… a decent one." She looked at Grissom with a small smile and sat back down in her seat. "So we have made a connection of some sort, but we need to fatten it out a little - gather a bit more evidence that can support this theory." Sara had picked up her doughnut again and was picking at it when another idea occurred to her. "So let's just say that he killed the girl and the neighbours, or some goon did, but why the parents? And why the two weapons? It could have been just as effective if they had just shot them all, or set the house on fire. He could have made it look like an accident, not that that would have hidden the evidence of course."

Grissom shrugged his shoulders. "Why kill at all?"

Sara went back to nibbling her doughnut. The blood analyses that they had gotten back from Greg didn't match the ones from the rapist or his friends that were with him at the time of the attack - nor did it match anything that they had on their computer records. But at least now they had a motive. They just needed to connect the dots.

Grissom wiped his hands on another napkin beside him. "I'm going to go and find Catherine, and see what Doc has for us. Are you ok being left to track these guys down for interviews?" He indicated the pictures of the youths on the table.

Sara nodded. "No problem."

Sara had taken out her cell phone and was dialling Brass's number before Grissom had even left the room.

Grissom and Catherine walked in comfortable silence, Catherine's flats making a dull thunking sound as the pair made their way to the morgue. Catherine pushed open the swing-door, the cooler air of the clinical room a refreshing change as they moved into Doc Robbins' domain. The balding, chubby cheeked coroner was the best part of the night shift team. His quick eyes missed nothing and despite using a crutch, he moved with an agility of a dancer.

"Find anything?"

Doc Robbins smiled and without looking up responded in his usual humour. "Grissom, Catherine - you're early".

Grissom glanced at Catherine, who was smiling despite herself, and proceeded to put on the blue scrubs that they were required to wear to preserve the evidence. As he moved in for a closer look at the body that Doc was working on, he noticed that the death wounds look more pronounced now that each victim was on their back.

"Patricia Snow - cause of death was a large wound across the neck. Now, the death was quick and violent - the cut was so deep that you can see part of the spine, but I can tell you that your killer was left-handed, judging by the depth of the cut from side to side." Doc moved Patricia's head to the side slightly, allowing both Grissom and Catherine a better look. "See how the depth varies?"

Catherine nodded and watched as Doc moved further down the side of the body. He lifted up the left arm. "Now, there are absolutely no visible defence wounds, so I am going to make a tentative guess and say that she may have been the first victim. Now her husband here…" He turned and indicated to the body along side Patricia, "…Barry Snow, has some definite signs of defence."

He lifted the man's right arm, pointing to the cuts and abrasions on the inside, and the bloody and skinned knuckles on the out. "This gentleman did fight pretty hard, and it looks like he got a few good hits in before he went down. I sent some of the blood on the knuckles to be traced, so they may be able to identify another donor hopefully."

He moved to the next two slabs, which contained the bodies of Frank and Deborah Gordon. He lifted up the woman's left arm. "Now, once again no defence wounds on the women but both of the men have the same kinds of wounds. So as far as my findings are concerned, the women were killed first, then the men after a struggle."

Grissom was examining the man's right hand. "The marks are almost identical."

Catherine had moved to Doc's side, where she took the notes that he handed to her. "The times of death of the women were close," he was still reporting, "with only a minute or so between them, while the men died up to five minutes later."

Catherine had moved onto the body of Helena, the daughter. Doc followed, pulling the white sheet to her lower neck as he continued, "Helena here died thanks to a gunshot wound to the forehead, which, as you can see, exited the back quite violently. Now, there are no defence wounds, and there is no evidence of bruising to coincide with any kind of sexual assault but I still sent off some swabs."

Catherine was nodding and heading out the door before Doc could finish. "Thanks Doc, page if you find anything else!"

Doc nodded and yelled back, "Will do!" He smiled as Grissom shrugged and followed Catherine out the door.

Grissom went to find Sara to see how she had gotten on with getting interviews with the suspects of the rape. He found her in one of the empty interview rooms. He stood and watched her for a moment through the slate glass window, as she pushed a lock of rich brown ever-so-slightly wavy hair absent-mindedly behind her ear, while tapping the top of her pen on her front teeth. She looked pale and exhausted. Knocking lightly, he entered the room, and watched as Sara gave a jolt, looking panicked.

"It's just me. Sorry, I didn't mean to give you a fright."

Sara shook her head. "You didn't, I was just thinking."

She let her eyes wander back to the paper in front of her, not looking up as Grissom sat next to her. "I called Brass, and you'll never guess what I found out."

Not looking up to meet his gaze, she pushed a piece of paper in front of Grissom - one that was covered in her familiar rounded scrawl.

"Helena's rapist, Stevie Grant, is out on bail. Has been for a number of weeks now. But he still claims that the sex was entirely consensual, which I personally find hard to believe." She took out the report they had compiled when Helena was first raped. "A problem Cath and I had with this case was the fact that 3 sets of DNA came back with the rape kit - Stevie Grant, Brian Keyes and Jake Hale. Now, as was expected, they all denied the charges against them, even though there was tearing and bruising evident to say otherwise. We never got any sort of confession or any of them dobbing another in."

Sara sat back heavily in her chair, the small explanation seeming to take what little energy she had left away. Now that she was leaning back slightly, Grissom could get a better look at her face and was shocked by how unobservant he had been just hours earlier. She looked incredibly pale, and her face looked sunken - black bags hung under her once lively eyes, which were now dull and rather glazed. Grissom was about to ask what was up when Brass walked in with Stevie Grant.

Sara looked at Brass, raising an eyebrow. "Lawyer?"

Brass shrugged. "Claims he has nothing to hide and that he is innocent."

Brass left them to it, watching through the thick glass on the other side of the door.

"What have you guys got to accuse me of this time?" Stevie looked at Grissom then at Sara with cold watery blue eyes, his lank blonde hair hanging in his eyes.

"Helena and her family were killed."

Stevie's face fell completely, all colour dropped from his face.

"I didn't do it, if that is what you're thinking. I never raped her either."

Grissom sat back and crossed his arms, settling in for a long stay.

Two hours later, he and Sara exited the interview room none the wiser, their ears still ringing with the denial that Stevie kept throwing their way. Heading for the break room to grab a quick coffee, they found the rest of the team there already, sipping from Starbucks styrofoam cups. Catherine spotted them first and picked up two cups still in the carrier, handing them each one.

"Grissom, long black, Sara, vanilla espresso."

Sara wrapped her hands around the cup, inhaling the scent of the coffee deeply as she sat down next to Grissom, exhausted. She had had so much trouble sleeping recently, not feeling safe enough in her home to do so, and she could see how it was effecting everything she was doing. Attentions from a malevolent admirer had left her feeling unbalanced and unfocused. Sara didn't want to say anything to anyone in case it was nothing and it was all in her head. She had a tendancy to overthink somethings. And for all she knew, this could be one of those times.

She focused again on her co-workers, wishing that she could talk to one of them, any of them. But she always stopped herself when she had finally worked up the courage, saying she was being foolish, and that they all properly had enough of their own problems without her adding her own.

Catherine was an ex-stripper, mother, and recent widow. Warrick was an ex-gambler and she knew that everyday was a new struggle for him – Sara herself was battling her addiction to alcohol and it was harder then anyone could have ever prepared her for. Nick was a bit of a ladies' man and never seemed very available, and Grissom… well, Grissom was Grissom - anything outside of science and bugs made the man wonder, as though he could hardly believe that he was part of the human society.

Sara sighed and leaned her head on the back of the couch, closing her eyes and trying to relax the muscles that had been tense for the last couple of months.

It wasn't until she felt someone shake her shoulder and call her name that Sara realized she had fallen asleep. Sitting up quickly, she was faced with a very concerned looking Warrick, and looking around the room she realized that everybody else had left.

"Grissom said to leave you for a bit, but something has come up," Warrick said.

Sara stood and stretched, wincing when she discovered the twinge in her neck. "So what's up?" She followed Warrick sleepily down the corridor to Grissom's office.

"Doc got some labs back that show that Helena had sex the night of the killings."

Sara slowly started to wake up, consciousness seeping into her tired brain.

"That's very interesting. Did they identify the sperm found?"

Before Warrick could answer, they had arrived at Grissom's door. Warrick opened it, allowing Sara to enter first.

"What's happening, Grissom?"

Grissom looked up and indicated the seats in front of him. Sara sat, as did Warrick, and they both watched as Grissom flicked through the file in front of him.

"Doc did some vaginal swabs on Helena and found different DNA." He dropped a picture in front of Sara. "Brian Keyes, Steve's best friend." Sara smiled a little. "Ok, looks like there was a love triangle going on there."

Grissom shook his head. "Try a square. Jake Hale was there as well."

Sara's mouth dropped a little. "She had sex with three guys the same night she was murdered? Does anyone else find that kind of, well, wrong? I mean, sleeping with three guys in one night? Where were her parents? They were in the same house - how they could not see this is beyond me."

Grissom cocked his head slightly to the side, looking at her in the same way that Sara had seen him looking at his bugs or at suspects, and she could almost see the wheels turning in the older man's head. Sara tried to ignore him, even though she could feel his eyes on her when she moved her head, feel them burning into her brain, as though he was a superhero and he was using his powers to read her mind. Sara wanted to make him stop, wanted to get the attention away from her and back to the case before he figured out something was wrong with her.

Sara pulled the folder in front of Grissom towards her, scanning the information and test results. "It's a shame that they all happened to forget to mention this to us in the interviews." She folded her arms over her chest, hoping that Grissom's brain would click back to the case.

"Yeah well, Cath and Nick are going over the new information with the suspects now - hopefully they will be completely honest this time around."

Sara nodded and started to stand, before Warrick's hand on her wrist made her pause.

"We need to ask you something."

Warrick's voice was tight, making Sara sit back in her seat, looking back and forth between both Grissom and Warrick.

"What?"

She waited, while both Grissom and Warrick examined her, making her feel trapped and claustrophobic.

"Sara, are you drinking again?"

Grissom's voice was stern, and Warrick's face concerned, as they sat and waited for her response.

"No. What the hell is going on here?" Sara's throat felt tight, her chest burnt and her feelings were hurt. "Why would you say that?"

"You've been tired, you're not focused, you seem almost dazed and you fall asleep in the middle of one of the biggest cases of your career. If it's not drink then what is it?"

Sara opened her mouth to speak, but Warrick beat her to it.

"We just want to help."

Sara turned her fury on Warrick and Grissom.

"What the hell do you mean, that you 'just want to help'? I have been this way for over two months and just now you notice that something is up! Here's a helpful hint for both of you, Grissom get your head out of your bugs and start paying attention to the real world. You know, the one that you withdraw from? The one you hide from with facts and statistics that are nothing to do with anyone except you! And Warrick, move on! I know that you were addicted to gambling and I know how hard it is to get your life back, but man, oh, _man,_ are you taking your time! Stop playing the wounded hero and start living again. And Grissom, here's a fact you can use- I'm not drinking again. I've been sober for 2 months now. I haven't even walked past a bar, and I have no alcohol in my home."

Sara brushed past Warrick, the brief physical contact made her bristle with more anger, heading for the door before pausing. "Check your facts before you put your noses in next time. You don't know how wrong you are."

She swung open the door, feeling a little better when she heard it slam against the wall behind it, and headed for the locker room. Maybe it was because she was upset, but the silence that followed her show of emotion was deafening.

How dare they shove their noses into her business like that? Insulting her before she even had a chance to defend herself?

Wave after wave of anger washed over Sara, as hot angry tears made their way steadily down her cheeks. Thankfully, the locker room was empty and Sara quickly changed from her work clothes to her more casual jeans, turtleneck and her faux fur lined coat, then pulling out her cell phone she called Grissom's cell.

"I'm going home now".

She hung up before he had a chance to say anything beyond his name, then grabbing her backpack, she headed for the building's exit, grateful not to run into any of the team.

The sun was cold and bright as Sara headed for her car, which was tucked into the corner of the parking lot. The traffic was quite light, and she was home without even realizing it, her body and mind on autopilot. She took her apartment steps slowly, one at a time, her fear making her heart race, all her anger at Grissom and Warrick forgotten as she saw what she was dreading to see…

The single, blood red rose was taped to her door, along with a note, with the small label "Sara". Breathing quickly, she removed a pair of latex gloves from her pocket, and putting them on, she tried to calm herself. With shaking hands she removed the note and the rose from the door, then unlocking her front door she slipped quickly inside, locked it, then looked around her apartment.

A couple of years ago, her team had investigated a case where the victim not only looked uncannily like Sara but lived like her too. The victim was a bit of a homebody, who ordered out of catalogues and ate a lot of takeaway. Since then, Sara had made an effort to change her habits and her living conditions. She now had photos dotted around the apartment of her family, her workmates, and photos of her as a child. Sitting in the corner was a plant Grissom had given her quite a while ago accompanied by a few others. Plus, she had just brought some new furniture, so now her apartment felt more like a home, not just a place to sleep until work found her at the office again.

Sara sunk slowly to the floor, still leaning on the door. She opened the envelope slowly and carefully, removing a thin piece of paper hidden within.

_Dear Sara,_

_The time is drawing closer to us being together. It is almost time for us to make our lives together. I know you're as desperate as me, but we must wait, my love. All in good time, my love, all in good time._

The neatly typed piece of paper was now wet with Sara's tears. She stood and put the rose and letter with the others she had been given, after first putting it into a zip-lock bag, dating and labelling it.

She poured herself a glass of water, wishing it was something stronger, then moved over to her sofa and sat heavily, trying to calm her nerves. She found the remote for her stereo and pressed 'play' - soon the bass of her _Dido_ CD filled the room.

Needing a distraction, Sara moved back into the kitchen where she started making scrambled eggs, singing along to the music as she went.

_If you won't let me fall for you,  
Then you won't see the best thing I would love to do for you  
Instead, you will be missing me when I go,  
Cause I'm bored of hanging out in your cold._

She wasn't even hungry, and she most certainly did not want to be back in the place where she felt most vulnerable, but her temper had gotten the best of her and now she had paid the price, with neither Grissom nor Warrick too happy with her right now. The insults that she had yelled at them now made her cheeks flush slightly with embarrassment.

She sat down at the dining room table picking at her eggs, sipping her cup of coffee, and feeling slightly ill. A sudden knock on the door made her jump and drop the coffee mug on the floor, shattering it.

"Damn it," she muttered under her breath. "Hold on, I'll be right there."

She quickly turned down the music and looked through her peephole, unlocked the door, and swung it open.

"Warrick? What, come here to check out my breath and fridge? Oh, and don't forget to check the cupboards too, behind the bags of corn chips, cookies and pasta bottles - we alcoholics are sneaky."

Her voice dripped with cold sarcasm as she turned her back on him and started cleaning up the coffee mess. She heard Warrick shut the door behind him and watched as he grabbed the paper towels on her bench and started helping her clean up.

"We are worried about you, that's all. Grissom called your cellphone before but just got your machine. And while we're on the topic, what the hell were you thinking, yelling at Grissom and me like that? Are you trying to get fired, or demoted? Because unless you have a good explination that's exactly what will happen!"

_**Song: Have a little faith – Mandy Moore.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N – Thank you all so much for the positive feed back. This is hugely encouraging to a first time poster such as myself. To answer a question made by Zooky, there is a pairing but I want to keep it a bit of a surprise. I will become clear in the next few chapters I promise. But I'll give you a hint. I am a strong supporter of the whole Grissom and Sara thing. If you can't figure that out then you'll just have to keep reading! J_

**Chapter Two – Invisible Man**

Sara took the paper towels - wet with coffee and filled with her broken mug, and dumped them in the sink before turning back to Warrick, who was now standing by the dining table.

"So he sent you over? Wow, his concern is overwhelming. And to think all it took for him to pay attention was me yelling in his face."

Sara turned the stereo volume back up slightly, then returned to the dining room table and began stabbing at her eggs again.

"Your drinking started because of stress, and you looked stressed. Grissom made the automatic assumption."

Sara shook her head, pointing her fork at Warrick. "Which is kind of funny considering he is always the one saying, 'Assuming makes an ass out of you and me'? At the moment he is the gigantic ass. He should just stick with his bugs. Drinking is not the problem." Hot tears began again as she moved over to the bottom drawer, where she kept the letters and roses, gathering them up in her arms, then dumping them in front of Warrick. "These are."

Warrick looked from the bags then to Sara.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

Sara ran her fingers through her hair.

"I thought it was stupid. You all have enough on your plates without me coming on board, and I was so scared that if I told anyone, I would look like a complete idiot. Knowing my luck it would be nothing and here I am making a huge deal out of it."

Warrick shook his head and he shifted through the notes and roses.

"You should have told us. And it always means something if you are scared. No wonder you've been stressed. We need to call Grissom and Brass. Now."

He held up his hand as Sara started to protest, so she started making a fresh batch of coffee, relieved that someone now knew what was going on, the relief making her mood a little lighter.

She had just turned off the stereo when the doorbell rang. Glancing at Warrick quickly, she looked through her peephole. She released the breath she had been holding in a large sigh, and turned to Warrick.

"It's just my neighbour."

She quickly unlocked the door and chatted to the women for a few minutes, and upon insistence from her neighbour, introduced Warrick then said goodbye.

Warrick shut the door and relocked it, and turned to face Sara, her pale face and wide eyes shocking him slightly.

"You need to rest. I guess that you haven't been sleeping too well lately, which would explain the whole luggage set under your eyes." He led her gently to her sofa, and placed a rug over her. "Try to catch some ZZZs, ok? I'll be here."

Sara snuggled deeper into her sofa, and for the first time in months, drifted to sleep effortlessly in her own home.

A low murmur of voices stirred Sara out of her peaceful slumber, and she lay quite still, enjoying the warmth and safety she hadn't felt in a while.

Grissom and Warrick were discussing her and the situation she had gotten herself into, and Grissom sounded far too calm, which meant he was pissed off.

"Why didn't she tell anyone? Why didn't she tell me?"

Sara sat up slowly and peeped over the top of the sofa.

"I was scared and you were busy. As always."

Her voice made them both jump slightly and turn towards her. She stood, stretched, and came to sit at the dining room table, running her fingers through her hair, her sleep deprived body calling for coffee.

"What did Brass say?" Sara turned her attention to Warrick, ignoring Grissom's steely, intense gaze.

"Not a lot. All the usual legal mumbo jumbo, not a real threat, etc, but he's going to keep an ear to the ground."

Sara nodded slightly, and moved to the kitchen, turning her back to the two men, trying to hide the fear on her face and in her voice. She proceeded to make herself a cup of coffee. Finally, steaming mug in hand, she took a few deep breaths before turning to them again.

"I refuse to let this rule my life. It's probably some loser who will get bored soon enough. Now, I need to grab a shower, so as touching as all this concern is, it's time for you to go."

Sara went to the front door, unlocked it and swung it open. Warrick and Grissom looked at each other and stood.

"Be careful, Sara. This isn't a joke."

Grissom's voice was firm as he walked past her, gently touching her shoulder. Before she could process her feelings from the touch, the warm reassuring hand had gone.

Sara watched them leave for a couple of seconds before locking the door again. The warm sense of peace she had while they were here was gone, replaced with the all too familiar cold fear. She proceeded to the bathroom and turned on the shower. Once it was the right temperature, she stripped off and jumped under the hot spray.

After having a wash and conditioning her hair, she regretfully turned it off, patted herself dry, and slipped on her big baby blue bathrobe. As she was heading to her room, she decided to go and get the mail before it was too late. She was expecting a bill she wanted to pay today.

She slid on her slippers and padded to her door, unlocked it, and hurried down the stairs to where the mailboxes were kept. Grabbing her mail without looking at it, she headed back up the steps, relief flooding into her as she slipped back into her apartment.

Locking the door behind her, she turned and froze. Something about the apartment was…_off_. She didn't know what, but the hairs on the back of her neck were up, and her instincts screamed that someone was there.

She crept into the kitchen, and grabbing a large kitchen knife, walked slowly down her hallway. By the time she realized someone was behind her, it was too late. They snaked their arms around Sara's, pinning them to her sides, and although Sara fought hard, he was stronger. One of her arms was freed, but by the time she had reacted it was too late. A scream bubbled in her throat, dying at her lips as Sara felt a sharp pain in her neck. After a few seconds, her legs grew weak and her mind fuzzed over.

Her last thought was of Grissom, before the dark abyss claimed her.

Grissom arrived back at the lab at 10pm, slightly late but he wasn't too worried. They had narrowed their lists of suspects to one, and that one had confessed - he had convinced his friends to help him kill the families to help save Stevie and cover his own tracks of his affair with Helena. So tonight may be a quiet night, which he was looking forward to.

Grissom entered the break room and felt his blood freeze. Sara wasn't there. He glanced at Warrick, who shrugged. Grissom proceeded to call Brass.

"Brass, its Grissom. Look, Sara's a no-show for work and I'm worried after all that's been going on… Okay."

Catherine and Nick had paused their conversation and were looking at Grissom.

"What was that about?" Catherine asked, munching on a bag of potato chips she was sharing with Nick. Grissom took a deep breath, trying unsuccessfully to calm his nerves.

"For the last couple of months Sara has been getting these weird letters and flowers from a stalker." Grissom watched as their faces went from shock then to confusion.

"Why didn't she tell anyone?" Nick's voice was tight with worry.

"I don't know. But I wish she had."

Grissom sat in silence and waited for his phone to ring, hoping against hope that he was wrong, and that nothing had happened to Sara. His phone rang, and he felt all eyes fix on him as he picked it up.

"Okay… we're there." Grissom struggled to keep the emotion out of his voice and off his face as he looked at his team. "Sara's gone."

Grissom's heart was thumping loudly. Stabs of guilt were attacking his chest as scenarios of what had happened to Sara floated in and out of his head. Arriving at the front of Sara's apartment, another wave of guilt washed over him. _I never should have listened. I should have stayed with her. _

He followed Catherine, Warrick, and Nick up the two flights of stairs to Sara's apartment, and they paused at the front door, slipping on latex gloves and shoe covers. Catherine put a hand on Grissom's shoulder.

"Are you ready?"

Grissom shook his head.

"No."

Catherine took the lead handing out assignments after she did the walk-through that was required for their investigation. Nick was to interview the neighbours, Warrick to dust the door, Grissom to go through the letters, while she did the photographing.

She knew that sending Grissom away would be a waste of time - there was no way he would leave, and this wasn't just a missing team member. This was Sara.

"One of the neighbours called it in, saying she saw a strange man carry Sara out of here."

Catherine jumped slightly as Brass came up behind her.

"Yeah, sent Nick over already."

Brass nodded and walked to where Grissom was looking at the letters that were spread across the dining room table.

"We'll find her. I promise."

Grissom nodded and turned back to the letters, shoulders hunched.

Catherine pulled Brass aside and said in a low voice, "Do you have anything to go on yet?"

Brass shook his head.

"Nothing really, other then the neighbour, who I will take to the station after Nick is done. I'll leave you to it."

Brass exited, leaving Catherine to cope on her own. She watched as a clearly broken Grissom determinedly looked over the letters and roses, murmuring to himself and taking notes.

Catherine gave herself a shake and then slowly began heading down the hallway looking for clues. She found the knife in the hallway, along with a large syringe. She photographed and bagged them, heading for the bathroom, where she found Sara's work clothes and some under garments. Catherine looked around the bathroom, Holly Gibbs, a young CSI who had been killed while handling a scene alone came into her thoughts.

"Sara where are you?"

Sara didn't want to open her eyes. She knew that she had been taken out of her own home. She also knew that nobody would know where she was. She waited until her mind was completely clear before she opened her eyes, and was shocked to find herself surrounded by complete darkness. She tried to stand but found that her wrists were shackled to the wall by what felt like metal wristbands. The chains were just long enough for her hands to reach her upper chest, where she was relived to find that her robe was still tied and her body covered. She did a quick assessment of her body, and other than feeling weak, she didn't have any complaints, aside from the rubbing of the metal on her wrists. She still had no idea how long she had been out - whether it had been hours or days.

There were no windows from what Sara could see, which was very little. She sat quietly for a while, trying to gather her thoughts. That was when she heard the footsteps, starting first above her, then proceeding down the wall furthest from her, until a door swung open allowing bright light to enter the darkened room.

After a few seconds, Sara's eyes adjusted to the blinding light and she was able to see her prison more clearly. The room was small and damp, with no windows, as she had guessed - just walls. The only objects in the room other then herself and the shackles that bound her was a 10-litre paint bucket just beside her. Sara shuddered to think about what it was for.

The man before her was tall - well built - with muscular arms, limp brown hair, and watery blue eyes. The man rang a bell in her mind, but she couldn't place his face. When he spoke to her, his voice was slick and slow, making Sara shiver more then his actual words did.

"I know, I know. It's not much, but its home, you know?"

He held up his hands, looking around at the room, and then looked back down at Sara, smiling.

"This is not what I had in mind, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I knew that the time to save you was coming but when I saw the men going into your house – not chaperoned, I might add - I was pretty horrified and I knew the time had come. It was a little sooner then I had expected, but hey."

The man shrugged his shoulders in a who-can-help-it gesture, hands up, a small smile on his face.

"I guessed you might be hungry."

He reached out of the door for a second, returning with a tray filled with stale-looking sandwiches and a tall glass of water. He placed it just within her reach, standing back to watch her.

Sara drank the water in thirsty gulps, not caring that it spilt down her chin and neck. She put the glass back onto the tray, and despite her stomach's protests, she ignored the sandwiches. The man looked disappointed.

"Don't you trust me Sara?" A deep frown covered his face and his eyes became dark, his voice low and menacing. "Well you had better learn, Sara, because we will be together for a while."

He took the tray, and without looking back, closed the door behind him, encasing Sara in darkness again.

Grissom was going insane - that was the only way to describe how he felt. Sara had been missing for 72 hours now, and they were the longest hours of his entire life. They had pushed all other cases aside, handing them over to the day shift, and despite the Mayor breathing down his neck to take cases, he was standing firm, allowing the day shift to pick up the slack. He could not have cared less. He wanted - and needed - his team to stay focused on finding Sara.

A knock on his office door jolted him out of his daydream. He smiled sadly when Catherine walked in, coming to sit on the edge of his desk.

"How are you doing?" she started.

Grissom loudly blew out his breath, rubbing his tired eyes.

"Regretting everything bad I ever said to her, regretting leaving her alone in her apartment and not telling her things that I should have."

His voice broke and he dropped his eyes, avoiding contact with Catherine's blue ones.

"I think you need to talk to her when we find her. And don't you dare pretend to not know what I mean." Catherine's voice had become stern and determined.

Grissom shook his head. "I'm losing hope, maybe it's because I know the numbers, but the longer she's gone, the more chance…" He halted again and swallowed hard, it felt like his stomach was coming into his throat. Catherine put a hand on his shoulder, and squeezed it.

"We are all having a hard time dealing. I just caught Nick abusing his locker, Warrick hasn't spoken much since you told us Sara was gone, and me… well, I'm stubborn, so I'm determined that Sara will be alive. She's tougher than she looks. You also need to remember that this guy has an obsession with her. He will keep her alive as long as possible before anything happens. He is under the delusion that he is in love with her, and Sara with him. So maybe our numbers will be off with this case. We might have longer then we suspect."

Grissom nodded and ran his hands through his messy hair.

"What happens if I've left it too late? What if we find her, and it's too late?"

Catherine shook her head, putting a gentle hand on his clenched fist.

"It won't be. Trust me. Now, you need to freshen up. Sara needs us fresh for the fight. Why don't you go home and sleep?"

Grissom shook his head hard.

"No, I need to be here. And if I do fall asleep, I have nightmares and dreams involving Sara and then I wake up feeling worse then I did before I slept."

Catherine nodded and moved to his door.

"Fine - you go have a shower and I'll track down some food for you, then you can rest in the break room, okay?"

Grissom nodded, feeling extreme guilt all over again. He was off to have a hot shower and food, while Sara was in danger somewhere - somewhere that Grissom could not find. He put his head onto his desk, guilt, sorrow, and regrets pulsating within him like a living being, matching his heartbeat.

Despite all of her determination, fear was starting to seep into Sara's heart. She hadn't eaten once since coming here - she just drank the water that arrived without fail twice a day, delivered by the same man in the blue overalls, who talked of marriage and how she had been living in sin.

Her body was feeling the effects of not eating. She felt light-headed and weak, and her back and tailbone were sore from sitting on the hard floor with limited movement. The room stank - the bucket and the damp made for an unbearable smell. She still had no idea what day it was, or what time, but she had had enough time to remember the man now.

She had come across him when his vehicle had broken down, and so she had lent him her phone to call _AA,_ and waited with him until they had come. She had never seen him again after that, never hearing from him.

Sara heard the beginning of the footsteps, and within seconds the door swung open, allowing the blinding light in again, and the man in the blue overalls.

"Sara, you haven't been eating. Well today that's going to change, because we are moving into our new place. So eat." He placed the tray in front of her, and watched as she drunk the water and as always ignored the sandwiches. "Sara, I said eat. Do it now."

His eyes became steely and his mouth scrunched in anger as she shook her head. "Fine, but you're forcing me to do this."

He pulled out a gun from under his shirt - one that Sara recognized as her own - and he swung it low, striking Sara in the jaw. Her vision fuzzed as pain shot through her jaw and up the side of her face, grimacing as she tasted the copper of her own blood.

"Eat." He pointed the gun at her, cocking the trigger, and waited. Sara shakily ate the sandwiches, ignoring the blinding pain in her jaw that every movement invoked, and the odd taste the sandwiches had.

She knew why they tasted odd the moment her vision started to blur, and the man put her gun away. He had drugged her again and now he was going to move her. Further away from her hopes and from Grissom.

_Please find me Grissom, and hurry_. Her silent plea was the last thing she thought before her world fell into darkness.

"The chemicals in the syringe you found, Cath, are ones that relate to a new government drug they are trailing for people who suffer from back pain, which is why it took so long to get the results. The drug is still being tested, and they were trying to keep it under wraps."

Greg handed the results back to Grissom, who quickly scanned the sheet of paper.

"Thyedrin?"

Greg nodded, and handed another piece of paper to Grissom.

"And only two people in the area use it, one of which died last year. That leaves just Zachary James. Now, I ran it through a system we recently acquired, and this drug has some serious side affects - delusions, hallucinations, and comas."

Catherine's eyes flashed over Grissom's shoulder.

"She could be in a coma?"

Greg nodded slowly but then smiled slightly.

"If it's any consolation, the amount in the syringe was just enough to produce the other side effects, which are weakness, thirst and unconsciousness. In order for her to slip into a coma she would need more then double the dose that it appears she was given."

Catherine allowed Greg a small grin.

"It does, thanks Greg."

The young lab technician passed another sheet of paper to Grissom.

"The man has a criminal record longer than my arm. He's been arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, rape, and - believe it or not - kidnapping. He kidnapped his ex-wife just after their divorce, keeping her hidden in his basement for three weeks, all the time putting on a big production over how she had left with a new boyfriend and had moved to Paris."

Everybody turned to Grissom when his phone rang seconds later, and silence fell as they waited for news.

"Grissom… You did… What name was it under? Yeah, he's the guy… Okay, give us ten minutes." Grissom allowed a grin for the first time in days, and it infused hope into the rest of the team.

"They found his car." As they got up to leave, Grissom paused and stopped Catherine with a hand on her shoulder.

"I need you to track down his ex-wife and his doctor. Interview them. Find out where he kept his ex-wife, and find out more about this drug."

Catherine nodded and stood aside as Grissom moved past her and strode purposefully down the hall, happy that he now had a purpose, happy that they had finally gotten a lead that they so desperately needed.

Sara awoke to a new environment around her. For one, the shackles were off her wrists, and there was a window - though it was boarded, it was still a window, so Sara formulated a form of escape. She had to wait though. Had to wait for him to come with her drink and sandwiches as he always did.

The new room was also a plain square but this time Sara could see the faint outline of a toilet sitting in a corner, and the damp smell was absent. But it concerned Sara that she could hear nothing - no city noises, no birds, no cars… nothing. When the footsteps came this time, they came from a distance and then got closer and closer until they were directly outside of the door. When it swung open very little light followed the man in.

"Ah, you're awake I see. I hope your face feels better, and that you like your new surroundings. But don't get too comfortable, we may be moving again soon enough. Now, here's something to eat and drink."

Sara tried to hold back her shock when she saw what was on the tray - no sandwiches, but a packet of chocolate biscuits, still sealed, and a glass of water.

"I know you don't trust me yet so I thought I would humour you for the moment. Now I'll leave you to eat, and I'll see you later."

Sara watched as he left, shutting the door behind him. Wasn't he worried? She could break the glass and kill herself, and he would never know. The only thing that Sara could draw from it was that he trusted her not to do that. Sara looked at the packaging around the biscuits as she drunk her glass of water. It was indeed still sealed, and after a few seconds of reservation, she tore open the packet and stuffed a cookie into her mouth, savouring the sweet chocolaty goodness.

In a matter of moments the whole packet was eaten, and with renewed energy, and slightly unsteady legs that caused her to lean on the wall next to the window, she started attacking the boards that covered her only escape.

Catherine sat across from a slim, pale woman, who was Zachary James's ex-wife. The women was tall, with long waist-length blonde hair pulled back into a French braid that revealed her sharp blue eyes, high cheek bones and full lips.

"So Mrs Dionna, could you please tell me what happened on the day of your kidnapping?"

The women smiled slightly, wrapping her slim hands around the can of soda that Catherine had brought her when she had first arrived.

"Sure. It is most certainly not something that one forgets in a hurry, however hard I might try. I was in the kitchen in our old house. I was packing up all of the dishes and such, when I heard a noise in the living room. I went to investigate, and that's when he hit me over the head with a lamp, knocking me out cold."

Catherine nodded, allowing the women to go at her own pace, knowing that putting pressure on the women and on the memories could quite possibly break any connection to any vital clues that could lead them to Sara.

"I awoke to find myself shackled to the wall of some dark dank little room, with a bucket for my most personal needs, and nothing else. He came and gave me food and water twice a day, and then one day he came down and said he loved me. And then he raped me."

The women looked Catherine square in the eye, acceptance and even a trace of sadness on her face.

"He then released me," she continued, "dumping me just outside of the Nevada desert, and I was picked up by a truck that was coming back into the city. Why do I need to tell you this again almost a year and a half afterwards?"

"We suspect that your ex-husband took one of our team members. We were hoping that you could tell us where he kept you. No detail is too small."

The women smiled sadly and shook her head at Catherine.

"I do not know where he held me. He never told the cops. I do still wonder why he wasn't put away for longer. He got a slap on the wrist for what he did to me, nothing more, and now this. I am so sorry that he took someone else. Who is she?"

Catherine took a picture of Sara out of the file in front of her, sliding it in front of the women, who picked up the picture, gazing into the smiling face of Sara.

"Her name is Sara Sidle. She is one of our scientists. Sara was taken five days ago. She was drugged and carried from her own home. It appears that your ex-husband had been stalking her for a number of months now, sending her letters and roses."

The women continued to look at the picture of Sara, her eyes growing sad.

"The police said that he had been following me for months before we were married," she replied, "and then again after I filed the papers for the divorce. He wasn't always this way you know. When I first met him he was sweet and romantic, writing me poetry. Then soon after we were married he turned to religion, and then the drugs for the back pain that had been dogging him for years, and he became this person that was so different from whom I married. He became possessive and jealous, demanding that I stop working and stay at home, cooking and cleaning all day. When I tried to explain that I would not do that, he hit me. I put up with a lot from him and when I was hit, it was the final straw. I filed papers the next day and kicked him out. Until the night I got kidnapped, I heard nothing from him. The day I was kidnapped I received a bunch of roses with a note saying 'see you soon'. I am so sorry that I cannot help you."

She slid the picture back towards Catherine, one of her hands in a fist on the table in front of her, soda forgotten.

"My ex-husband has scarred me in a way that will never heal," she continued. "My new husband has to deal with the nightmares and the fear that has dominated me since the kidnapping. I hate that scum for what he has done to me. I don't know what's sadder, really. The fact that I loved him, or that he thought he was doing something right in kidnapping me, shoving me in a basement for three weeks, raping me and then finally dumping me naked in the middle of the desert. I hope for her sake that you find your girl, because who knows what he will do to her. I am so sorry that I could give you nothing new."

Catherine handed the woman a tissue and put a hand on her arm, watching sadly as the women cried openly, her tears making faint noises as they hit the metal table in front of her.

When the woman was calmer, Catherine left the room and entered the one next to it where a squat man with a shiny bald head and black-rimmed glasses sat patiently.

"Hello Mr Frazier, thank you for taking some time to talk to us. Did the officer explain what it was regarding?"

Mr Frazier nodded, and shifted slightly in his seat.

"So when did Zachary start taking Thyedrin?"

Mr Frazier pulled a medical file from a briefcase that was beside him, leaning against his chair legs.

"About two and a half years ago. He has a slipped disc that cannot be fixed with surgery. He wanted something to numb the pain, and he was desperate enough to be willing to try the drug, despite the risks that came with it."

He handed Catherine the file, which she discovered contained his medical records. Catherine skimmed it quickly and then closed it.

"So you know about what happened with his wife? How he kidnapped, and raped her?"

The man nodded slowly.

"Then why is it he came back onto the drug after he was released from prison? If you knew what had happened, why didn't you take him off the drug?"

The man shifted in his seat again, clearly uncomfortable under Catherine's hard gaze.

"He offered me extra cash to keep him in the experiment. My practice was falling down around my ears and I couldn't say no. What choice did I have?"

Catherine took a deep breath, trying to keep her temper in check for a little longer.

"Does he have any memory of his actions when he is off the drug? Any at all?"

The doctor nodded his head.

"He has haphazard memories of his actions. And at times can be fully aware of what's going on."

Catherine pushed the chair she was sitting on behind her, and leaned over the table, putting her face closer to the man's.

"If this young woman dies, I'm coming after you. You will be as responsible for her death as Zachary James will be. So start praying, Mr Frazier."

With that, she turned on her heel and left the room, the door slamming behind her.

The car was a 4-wheel-drive, blue with a black interior. It was dumped in the middle of nowhere, spotted by a passer-by and called into Brass. Grissom was relieved to see the car until Nick and himself started working the interior.

"We have blood."

Nick swabbed the bloodspot that was in the rear of the vehicle, popping it into an evidence bag.

"And we have hair."

Grissom carefully placed the single hair into an evidence bag, calling Brass over.

"I want these delivered to Greg, ASAP."

With a nod Brass was gone in a swirl of sirens, lights, and dust. Nick and Grissom continued to work the car, finding nothing apart from empty potato chip packets and a 7/11 till receipt.

Nick and Grissom gathered up their kits, and telling Warrick to continue with the truck, they headed over to the 7/11.

A young girl was manning the checkout, no older then 16. Nick quickly put on a charming smile and shined it on the girl.

"Hi, I was wondering if you could help us. I'm Nick Stokes and this is Gil Grissom. We're working on a case, and our suspect came in here - do you think you could help us?"

The young girl looked a little overwhelmed, but she was smiling shyly at Nick.

"Sure. What could I do?"

Nick pushed the receipt over to the girl, along with the picture of Zachary.

"Do you recognize this man?"

The girl nodded eagerly and then looked thoughtful for a second.

"I served him two days ago exactly. I remember because it was our busiest time for some weird reason, and because I thought he should wash his hair. It looked kind of greasy, and lank. He bought, like, ten litres of bottled water, and some junk food. He didn't say anything to me but he looked royally pissed off."

Nick nodded at the girl, smiling.

"Now, did you happen to see what vehicle he drove off in?"

The girl nodded again.

"It was a blue 4-wheel-drive, and there was a lady in the backseat, leaning against the window."

Grissom pushed Nick aside lightly.

"How did she look?"

The girl scrunched up her nose.

"She was leaning against the window, there was a little blood coming out of the corner of her mouth and her head was twisted at a weird angle, looked uncomfortable to say the least. But I forgot about it as soon as he left, because, as I said, it was really busy in here."

Grissom nodded curtly and let Nick move forward again to finish the questioning.

They left the store shortly afterwards, and headed back to the 4-wheel–drive, where Warrick had just finished processing the vehicle. He handed Grissom photos that he had discovered in the glove compartment.

There were hundreds of them, all of Sara. Sara at the supermarket, Sara at the video store, Sara coming out of her apartment, and most disturbing of all was the fact that there were a few pictures that had the rest of them in it also - Catherine, Warrick, Nick, and even Grissom himself. They all headed back to headquarters at the same time, giving the findings to Greg.

They moved into Grissom's office, where they found Catherine waiting behind his desk. She rose and handed Grissom a sheet of paper with very little writing on it, frowning slightly.

"The ex-wife could tell us nothing more then we already knew. She had no idea where she had been held captive, and he dumped her on the side of the road just outside of the desert. She was raped, Grissom. She said that he kept telling her that he loved her and it was all for her own good."

Grissom nodded solemnly and sat stiffly in his chair. The silence fell heavily on the small room, no one daring to speak, and no one able to think of any words that could lift the heavy silence or their heavy hearts.

Sara had managed to remove two of the six boards that covered the window. It was harder then she had first anticipated - the boards were nailed down much more securely then she had expected.

The result was bloodied hands, covered with splinters from where she had been tearing at the wood. She carefully placed the boards back after a little while, knowing that the man would be back down soon enough, and she didn't want it to be discovered before she had a chance to get a glimpse of her surroundings.

She made herself as comfortable as she could, leaning against one of the walls facing the door, and wiping her hands on the back of her robe to make the blood less obvious. She wanted a clear view of where the guy came from, just in case she needed it later.

As she was sitting there, she noticed for the first time the ache in her wrists and her jaw. She could feel dry blood on her chin and lower lip, which had split at some point, she presumed, during her transportation. She also felt the bruising on her jaw, and a bump that was very pronounced. As for her wrists, they had been stripped of skin and were left raw - she could tell exactly where the shackles had been placed.

As she pondered her wounds, she began to wonder how he had gotten her here. Surely somebody saw him, or herself. Maybe they thought her wounds were a little suspicious. She heard the footsteps then, gradually getting closer and closer until the door swung open and he stood before her with another tray of goodies.

She managed to glimpse the area behind him, until he closed the door slightly so she lost sight of it. It had been a small staircase with a room of some sort at the top. She was only able to see a couple of chairs before the door closed. It was a dining room, maybe.

"Good to see you've eaten those cookies that I brought for you. Now, I'll just put this tray down here, and then I've got something for you. Now just stay here, okay?"

Sara watched, poised for the attack should he try anything on her. He came back one or two minutes later with a plastic bag filled with clothes.

"Now, these are kind of old, but we can't have you being half naked for much longer now, can we?"

He smiled down on her, leering at her exposed legs. Sara quickly rearranged her robe, covering her legs. He pulled out a grey nightshirt, the material thin and worn in places. Sara shook her head and spoke for the first time, her voice sounding dry and foreign to her own ears.

"I'm not wearing that. I will freeze and it's basically see-through."

The frown appeared again on the man's face and he shook his head.

"I don't want to make you, but I will if you force me to. You will wear it. You will do as you are told."

Sara nodded silently, knowing that he would hurt her as he had before. Sara held out her hand for the nightshirt, and the man handed it to her and stood back and waited.

"I am not changing while you are standing there."

Sara gritted her teeth, waiting for some sort of backlash from her comment and was surprised when he smiled and held up his hands.

"Fine, who am I to damage a girl's modesty?"

He turned on his heel and left, plunging her back into the familiar darkness. Sara changed quickly, not wanting to risk him coming back while she was half undressed.

The nightshirt fabric was cool, and rough, and it fell just below her knees, leaving her feeling more naked then she did in her now-discarded robe.

Sara sat back down against the wall facing the door, and waited. She was dying to pull out the rest of those wooden boards covering the window, but didn't want to risk being caught. The man could come back at any time. It was then that Sara heard a vehicle, and by the sounds of it, it was leaving.

Her hopes soared and she made a dive for the window, attacking the last of the boards that stood in the way of her freedom. When she finally revealed the window, she was shocked to find that the window was at ground level, and that her prison was below it.

Taking a deep breath, she gathered all of the strength she had left, and pulled herself up and out of the small window, her arms straining under her weight. Never in her life had the sun felt so good, or the air tasted so fresh. She did a quick evaluation of her surroundings, noting that there wasn't any - they were in the middle of nowhere.

Sara looked to the horizon and, seeing some trees in the distance, she decided to make them her goal destination. Even if there were no houses she could at least hide from him there. Her bare feet made no sound as she slowly started to inch her way towards the trees, keeping the need to sprint controlled. She was a regular on the jogging circuit at home, but days of sitting and limited movement made her joints and muscles ache with protest.

She was a good few meters from the house when she heard the door swing open and that voice scream, "SARA!"

Sara gritted her teeth and started to sprint. Twigs and stones dug into the bare flesh of her feet, making tears stream down her dirty face. Her spirit started to soar when she saw the trees come closer and closer, her footsteps carrying her to her goal. The sense of victory was shattered when she heard him cock a gun, and a bang louder then any she had heard before echoed across the clear blue sky.

Sara felt the bullet tear through her right arm, shattering the bone as it pierced through it, the burning pain making her fall to the ground. It was there, surrounded by her own blood, that any hope of escape fled. It was all up to her team now, and even they had limited options.

She heard his footsteps coming closer and closer as her vision started to blur, the loss of blood and exhaustion making it impossible to focus. His face came close to hers, his rancid breath making her cough.

"Why did you do that? You stupid girl."

His face became blurry, and she slipped in and out of consciousness as he painfully dragged her back to her prison.

Greg knocked on Grissom's office door, wanting to personally deliver this news himself. The loss of Sara had hit the whole office hard, making it impossible to throw any kind of enthusiasm into his work.

"Enter."

Greg swung the door open, finding eight pairs of eyes watching him.

"It was Sara's blood and hair," he confirmed.

He set the sheet in front of Grissom and moved to the filing cabinet, leaning against it, knowing that the exhaustion etched on each of his colleague's faces was also found on his.

Grissom's face fell as he read the sheet of paper, and then handed it to Catherine, who had dragged a chair over beside him. She, in turn, handed it to Nick, then Warrick, each reading the paper for themselves, not wanting to believe his findings.

"Where is he? How could two people disappear off the face of the earth?"

Grissom hung his head between his hands, knowing there was no answer. It was then that Brass walked in.

"I have a plan."

Skipping the pleasantries entirely, he closed the door behind him and faced the sad team.

"You're not going to like this but it's the only chance we have for getting Sara back."

He looked at Grissom when he said this, knowing the man would be affected most. Five pairs of eyes followed him as he sat on the edge of Grissom's desk, facing them.

"We need to drop this case."

_**Song: Invisible Man – Theory Of A Dead Man**_


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N – I plan to try and post a new chapter at least once a week that way there is more then enough time in between for reviews. I know that the chapters are pretty fast paced but I like that about this story. You don't have enough time to relax and breath easy, there's too much going on. So I hope you keep enjoying this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. This chapter is dedicated to my dog Shade who passed away on Friday night. We miss you very much old friend._

**Chapter Three – Waiting For Magic**

Grissom sat bolt upright in his chair, looking at Brass unbelievably. Nick shook his head hard.

"Nope, sorry. We have never dropped a case, and if you think we are going to drop one that involves one of our own…"

Nick balled his fists and continued to shake his head. Brass smiled widely at the room and held up his hands.

"Hold on and listen. Let's say I make an announcement saying that we had deemed this case unsolved, and that we are putting it to bed. They tell Zachary James, via TV. Think about it. If he thinks the heats off, he'll show his face more, which means we could catch him."

It took a second for the idea to sink in, Catherine catching on first, nodding in agreement, a small smile playing on her lips.

"It could work."

The only people not agreeing were Nick, and of course, Grissom.

"You make that announcement, we have to take cases back and put Sara's aside. I will have no part in risking Sara's life. This is not some random stranger who has shown up dead and on our table - this is Sara. And who's to say this guy didn't do it for the spotlight? What will happen when the spotlight is off of him? I am not going to have any part in this."

His voice was cold, shocking the rest of the team. He stood and walked out of his office, leaving the rest of the CSIs in stunned silence. After a few moments Catherine stood, about to follow him. She placed a hand on Brass's shoulder.

"Do it. Make the announcement. Grissom isn't thinking clearly."

Brass nodded and exited the room quietly, leaving Catherine to deal with the rest of the team.

"Greg, do you think you could handle two jobs?"

Greg nodded enthusiastically, moving closer to Catherine.

"Good. We will need help on the cases that are going to come here while we are waiting for the results of the announcement."

Greg nodded again and went to leave but turned back to say, "There is a tech I know who is out of the job - he just moved here. I could call him in to step into my shoes. That way I'm free to help completely."

Catherine nodded back at him.

"Call him."

She watched as Greg left, then turned to Nick and Warrick.

"Am I doing the right thing? Letting Brass make the announcement?"

Nick stood and put a hand on Catherine's shoulder.

"I don't agree, but we are running out of options and time…"

Catherine nodded, only slightly satisfied with their response. She turned on her heel and went to track down Grissom.

Other than his office, there was no real place in this building that made Grissom feel at home, so he went into the locker room, deciding to have a hot shower. He had just turned the spray off when he heard Catherine's clear voice bouncing off the walls.

"Grissom?"

Grissom wrapped a towel around his waist and shouted back, "Shower. Last stall."

He heard Catherine's approach thanks to her flats, the dull thunking sound bouncing off of the walls.

"Are you okay?"

Catherine moved around the stall, wanting to look him in the face.

"No. I did what I tell Sara not to do. I got too involved. This case should be no different from other cases. I should be able to step back and look at it from the outside."

Grissom stepped past Catherine, moving towards his locker, knowing full well that she would follow.

"Don't you dare get high and mighty," she censured him. "You are human, which means that if someone you love or care about gets hurt, you react. Don't start acting like you're above that, or I will belt you within an inch of your life. I am tired to the point of collapse and I do not have the patience at the moment to put up with doubt."

Catherine turned her back to Grissom as he began to change, but her voice was cold and steely, offering no opportunity to argue.

"I told Brass to go ahead and make the announcement. I did what I thought was right."

Grissom paused for a second, his chest hurting.

"I knew you would. I just couldn't do it."

Grissom finished changing and sat heavily on the bench behind him. Catherine sat beside him.

"This could work you know," she assured him. "We could have Sara back sooner then we thought. It was a good idea."

Catherine watched as a multitude of emotions flushed over Grissom's face, finally settling on guilt.

"I think even if it had a guaranteed chance of success, I would still be reluctant to take it. I don't like toying with Sara's life like that, and having it in my hands."

Catherine nodded her understanding, then told him the news of Greg and the new technician.

"We need all hands on deck if this plan is going to work, and a trainee-CSI is better than only four working a case."

Grissom nodded and stood, putting his old clothes in the locker. He turned to Catherine.

"Let's do this."

Together they exited the room, Grissom feeling renewed after borrowing some of Catherine's immense strength, each hoping against hope that Brass's plan would work.

Something was tickling her ribs, then her hip. Sara wrenched herself from her unconscious state, finding herself back in the dark room, the boards back on the window.

She moved slightly, finding the shackles back on her wrists. Her upper arm felt like it was on fire, the pain shooting down and licking around her side. _I was shot. By my own gun no less. And not even in the line of duty. _She smiled slightly when she realized how disappointed she was with that.

The tickling, she soon discovered, was blood slowly seeping from under the bandage that she could feel on her arm. The blood was pooling at the top of her thigh, making the area on her nightshirt sticky and warm. Bitter disappointment filled her chest as she remembered how close she had been to escaping. Her eyes felt heavy, and for the first time since this whole saga started, she felt tired, as though with every little bit of blood that she lost, a little bit of energy and hope escaped with it.

She heard his footsteps, and within seconds the door swung open, and a multitude of voices followed him.

"You're awake. As you can see, I have put your shackles back on. This is your punishment for trying to leave me. I have good news, listen."

He swung open the door wide, allowing the voices to clear, making Sara realize that it was, in fact, the TV. She strained her ears until she heard the worst news of her life. Brass's voice filled her ears as he spoke via the TV.

"The missing CSI we have been looking for, Sara Sidle, is still unfound. When this case started, all other cases were pushed aside, allowing for more concentration of this one. Miss Sidle has now been missing almost three weeks, and it has been decided that we put her case aside, allowing the CSIs to get back onto the other cases that have been piling up. We have in no way closed the case but it will now take a backseat to the others."

Sara stopped listening after that, bile filling her throat, and tears filling her eyes.

"They've stopped looking, Sara. My plan has succeeded, and now we can go on with our lives together. Great huh?"

His broad grin made Sara almost vomit, the sense of hopelessness almost swallowing her whole.

"We can finally be together."

He gave her one last look before turning on his heel and leaving, closing the door behind him. Sara allowed the tears to flow freely this time, her whole body wracked with sobs as a sense of finality filled the room and her heart.

Grissom was struggling. He couldn't do this. There was no way in hell that he would be able to focus on any other cases until Sara was home. It had been another 72 hours since Brass's announcement, and there had been no leads, no sightings, nothing. They were on the three-week mark of Sara's disappearance, and his confidence was waning. The only one that seemed certain that they would find Sara was Catherine, and that was only because she was far too stubborn to believe otherwise. How anybody expected him to work on this supposed suicide case, he didn't know. But he still felt incredibly guilty that they had all pushed their feelings aside and were concentrating on this case, picking up his slack.

Greg was doing great, or so Grissom had been told from Catherine and her daily updates, as was the new lab tech. But beyond reading the case file, he hadn't done anything. He couldn't do anything. It was as if he was physically tied to Sara's case, and the only cure was finding her.

He sat day after day in his office, reading her file again and again. And then reading the files that were passed on to him by the rest of the team. But then it was always back to Sara's file, and every time he read it, he felt more and more helpless. Catherine told him it was fine and that they could cope without him, but even with that reassurance, the guilt kept hammering. He knew that at some point someone will notice it was Catherine's signature on the bottom of the files - not his, which could get her into trouble as well as himself.

Grissom decided it was time for coffee, and headed for the break room, hoping to track one of his team members down. He found them all having their breaks, and drinking the sludge that passed for coffee in the office. He knew that they needed some food and maybe the treat of a Starbucks would lift their spirits a little.

"Hey everyone."

They all turned, surprised to see Grissom out of his office.

"I am feeling bad about being slack so I thought I would go on a food and coffee run."

Smiles and nods filled the room and Catherine stood and put a hand on his upper arm.

"I'll drive."

After taking the orders for food and coffees, they headed to one of the company trucks and hopped inside.

"I told you that it was no problem," Catherine reassured him, "You being out of the cases. We all need the distraction anyway."

She pulled into the mid-day traffic, carefully manoeuvring between cars. The team had been living at the building. Catherine was really the only one leaving, to take care of her daughter, Lindsay. On any other normal shift, they would all be home right now, sleeping and getting ready for the next shift, but instead his team had set up camp at work, napping in between all of the cases.

"Yeah well, that still doesn't alleviate my guilt. At least let me shout food and coffee, it's the least I can do."

Catherine nodded and parked the car in front of the local Starbucks, and handed him the list of coffee orders.

"You go in and order and I'll place the order for the Chinese, okay?"

Grissom nodded and walked into the friendly bright store. Ten minutes later he came out again holding a tray with seven styrofoam cups.

"Figured I had better get one for Brass. He said he was going to drop by at about this time."

Catherine nodded and they headed back to headquarters. They arrived just before the Chinese food, and they were greeted in the break room with cheers as they lugged the food and coffees to the table.

Brass arrived a few minutes later, smiling when Catherine shoved a styrofoam cup in his hand and invited him to eat with the others. Grissom sat back and watched as the food and coffee disappeared before his eyes. Not hungry himself, he sipped on his coffee, content to watch his team enjoy their reward. Catherine shoved some sweet and sour pork his way, and watched him carefully as he picked at it, taking a few mouthfuls.

"You'll be no good to Sara if you don't eat."

Grissom nodded and continued to pick at the food, not really putting any enthusiasm into it, and not tasting it. He honestly could care less about his state of mind - all he was focused on was Sara and her situation. Brass's phone pulled them all back into reality with a grinding halt.

"Brass… Where? … How long ago?… Registration… Okay, gives us ten minutes… Don't begin the interviews until we get there."

Brass closed his phone and pulled on his coat.

"Your guy was spotted at a McDonalds three blocks down from here."

The team all exchanged looks before all eyes settled on Grissom, who spoke calmly despite his heart pounding in his chest.

"Cath, Nick, Warrick - you're with me and Brass. Greg, stay here and hold the fort, okay?"

Greg nodded and watched wide-eyed as the team left the room, single file.

The door swung open for the third time that day revealing him holding a tray filled with McDonald's bags, his face was split in a wide grin. Sara was beyond tears now. Her heart was hollow, her eyes dry, and she was at the point were she could not have cared less.

"I brought you McDonalds to celebrate. I know that you don't like meat, so I got you a veggie burger, fries and a coke."

He placed the tray proudly in front of Sara, and stood back waiting for a reaction. Sara sat still, and continued to stare at the wall opposite her, pretending he wasn't there, not caring about the food or how much she needed it. He continued to watch her, then shifted to sit beside her, his body heat making her want to scramble to the other side of the room.

"Oh, I see what's going on here. You're sad that they stopped looking, aren't you?"

Sara continued to stare at the wall, shivering, as his voice grew low and greasy.

"You need to understand, Sara that in order for us to be together, we need to get away from the people who are taking advantage of you. Like for example, that Gil Grissom."

Sara's head popped up at the mention of Grissom.

"He never loved you the way I do. And what kind of person is that Catherine Willows? She thinks she is Queen Bee, when really it's you. She is jealous of you. Warrick and Nick are just sleaze balls, trying to take advantage of the fact that you're a beautiful woman. I know what's best for you, and _this_ is what's best for you. Living with me will fix your broken mindset."

He moved to the wall opposite Sara and gazed at her in a way that sent her skin crawling.

"I know you love me. And as soon as we get some money together we will be married. You will soon be Mrs James. Mrs Sara James. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

His face had split into that wide grin again, and Sara had to fight the urge not to reach over and rip it off of his face. The only thing stopping her was the shackles that kept her arms in place.

The man reached over her and unlocked the shackles, releasing her arms, which flopped painfully to her sides. She took her time getting them moving again, getting the blood to reach her fingers. She realized that her right arm had been promoted to 'useless'. _The bullet must have broken bone. Great. Bleeding, being hit on by a psychopath, and now I have a broken bone. Cherry on the top of a very sucky time_.

He pushed the tray closer to her tilting his head slightly.

"Come now, celebrate with me and eat. We are finally free."

Sara shook her head and watched as his face slipped into anger.

"We've gone over this once," he threatened, "and I do not want to do it again. Eat."

He pulled out the gun again, this time playing with it - not actually pointing it at Sara, but she got the general idea. She slowly started eating the food, becoming all too aware of the fact that the food was doing nothing to fill the empty hole that was left by the announcement on TV, and by the hope that had somehow escaped her grasp.

Grissom sent Catherine and Warrick to interview the drive-thru staff at the McDonalds, and Nick to check out the video surveillance - leaving himself and Brass to check out the surrounding areas of the building.

Finding nothing, they waited for Catherine and Warrick to return with the interviews, and Nick with the tape.

Catherine and Warrick showed up first, slipping into the back seats of the truck, enjoying the air conditioning.

"Ok, we have good news and bad news. We got a positive ID, but no registration of the vehicle, though we did get a good description."

Catherine handed Grissom her notes from the interview, and he looked at her through the rear-view mirror.

"That's it?"

Catherine glanced at Warrick who grinned broadly and answered for her.

"James mentioned to the check out girl that he was celebrating with a lady friend."

He sat back and waited for a response from Grissom but got none. Catherine put her head between the two front seats so that she was more or less face-to-face with Grissom.

"Which mean's Sara's alive," she stated.

Grissom locked eyes with Catherine and shook his head.

"It could mean anything."

Grissom turned his attention back to watching the car park, his curiosity peaked as Nick come running up to the truck, grinning broadly the whole way.

"We need to get back to the office, ASAP. You need to see this."

Grissom nodded and they were soon speeding their way back to the office. Upon arrival they all followed Nick into the viewing room and waited as he set up the tape. They watched as Zachary James came up to the window, took his bag, then left. Nick looked excitedly at the team and just about bounced on his seat.

"Did you see it?"

Catherine, Warrick and Grissom exchanged glances, shaking their heads. Nick swung back to the screen and rewound the tape.

"Watch the bottom of the car, where the license plates are."

They all watched eyes glued to the screen and they all clicked to his point at the same time.

"You can read the numbers!"

Catherine grabbed Grissom's arm, smiling widely. She watched as Nick printed out a copy of the numbers, handing them to Brass. They all sat in stunned silence as they waited for Brass to process the numbers.

"It worked."

Grissom's voice was small and quiet as he tried to process the idea that he might have Sara in front of him soon. Catherine slung an arm around Warrick's shoulders, then Nick's, still grinning broadly.

"Was there any doubt?"

They stayed in the room, Nick chattering excitedly, Grissom in stunned silence, waiting for Brass's call. Even though they were expecting it, they jumped when they heard Grissom's phone chime.

"Grissom… Ok… You sure? … Yup, see you soon."

Grissom closed his phone and grinned.

"He just got pulled up for speeding."

Warrick and Nick high-fived each other, and then as one unit they moved from the office to the waiting car park.

They watched through the glass screen as Brass interviewed Zachary James, not really advancing past the initial stages of the interview. James was dressed in a pair of blue overalls, which were splattered with blood - blood Grissom was sure would be Sara's. Standing beside Warrick and Nick, Grissom could feel the waves of anger coming off them, and they were chomping at the bit to get in to that interview room. They were just waiting for a signal.

"Grissom?"

Catherine turned to face Grissom, her voice low.

"Hmm?"

Grissom kept his eyes trained on James and Brass.

"He was stalking her, right?"

Grissom nodded and watched as again Brass asked where Sara was.

"If he was watching her, wouldn't he recognize you and Warrick? I mean, you did say you went to her house before she got taken, didn't you? And he had photos of all of us with her at some point."

Grissom turned slowly to Catherine, nodding as he went.

"Yeah, he would. Maybe he'll talk to us."

He left the room quickly, Warrick trailing behind. He opened the interview room door, and watched as James's faced registered recognition.

"Well, if it isn't Mr. Gil Grissom, and Mr. Warrick Brown…" A small confident smile stretched across James's face as he crossed his arms and looked at Brass. "You really are lowering your standards as to who is allowed in the interview room."

Brass rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, well it started with you."

Brass stood back and allowed Grissom and Warrick to step forward. Warrick pushed his face in James's until they were almost an inch apart.

"Where is she?"

James shrugged.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Grissom pulled Warrick back, and decided to take the friendly matter-of-fact approach, despite the overpowering need to throw the guy against the wall and wring his neck.

"Mr James, we have had you positively identified by the neighbour who saw you leave with Sara, we have samples of blood and hair that belongs to Sara in a car registered to your name - which also contained some photos, and we have a witness who saw Sara in your truck with you as you left a 7/11. Care to explain?"

James shrugged and stared back at Grissom.

"Sara and I are in a relationship, and have been for a couple of months now. Of course people would have seen her with me. The blood and hairs probably came from a bit of rough and tumble we had in the car. And as for the pictures, well, what can I say? Sara liked playing this silly little game where I took pictures of her without being seen. She got off on it."

A sick grin was spread across the man's sweaty face, his lank greasy blonde hair falling into his eyes as he pushed his face inches from Grissom's, and his stale breath filling the CSI's nostrils.

"Does it piss you off that I got her before you? Made love to the one woman you could never have?"

Grissom kept his breathing even and his fists on his lap as he stared into the man's watery eyes.

"She has lowered her standards as to whom she's keeping company with," Grissom said venomously.

James smiled again, this time revealing missing teeth cavities.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'. She's a beautiful woman. Body to die for. And energy, let me tell you."

Grissom swallowed heavily, the pulse in his temple increasing with every breath.

"Care to tell us about what happened with your ex-wife?"

The man's smile fell from his face, to be replaced with a scowl that swallowed his features.

"What did that evil whore tell you?"

"That you kidnapped her, shackled her to a wall, raped her, and then left her in the middle of the Nevada desert."

"I got charged with rape, not the kidnapping. They never found any proof of that."

"Yeah well they didn't have us to solve the case. Where is she?"

James's self confidence returned, the smile again finding its place on the man's sweaty face.

"Sara told me how you are socially retarded, how you have nothing but your bugs to keep you company in the big lonely rock that is planet Earth. You know that that is so extremely sad, that you - a red-blooded man - could not see Sara. I saw her and now we are in love - a love that cannot be broken up by some jealous bug-man. I can understand though, her body is just so… I don't think there are words for just how good she is."

Grissom stood up and slowly left the room, allowing Warrick and Brass to step forward to finish the interview. He could feel the bile rising in his throat. He walked quickly to the males' bathroom, vomiting into the pristine toilet bowel. A knock on the swing door to the men's room made him raise his head.

"Grissom, it's me, is it safe?"

Catherine's voice filled the empty room.

"Yep."

Catherine moved into the room, leaned against the stall doorframe, and looked at Grissom sitting on the floor.

"He got to all of us. Don't beat yourself up."

Grissom ran his fingers through his dishevelled hair.

"I need you to remind me Catherine. I need you to remind me that I can do this… that _we_ can do this. Because right now I am running on the last of my reserves."

Catherine went over to the sink and started running the cold water, putting some paper towels under the stream.

"We are doing this for Sara. You need to be strong, otherwise we have lost - despite having gotten so close."

She handed the cold, wet paper towels to Grissom, who placed them onto the back of his neck, sighing slightly.

"Thank you. Did he say anything when I left?" Grissom stood, moving to the sink.

"Nope. He was just mocking Warrick. The drugs have made him worse than he was before, that much is certain. He seems so confident that he and Sara were together."

Grissom ran the cold tap, throwing some water onto his face before he answered.

"Yeah, well, they aren't. All we need is this guy to tell us where Sara is."

Catherine leaned against the wall of the bathroom, arms crossed.

"He left her somewhere, that's certain. The question is just where?"

Sara was worried. She hadn't heard the man's footsteps for a while, and the drink that came with the McDonalds was long gone. She had heard a car leave quite a while ago, and it left at quite a speed. The tray was still sitting in front of her, where the man had left it when he had exited in a hurry. Sara had decided that it must all be a ploy - her team had not stopped searching for her. There was no way that any of them would let that happen. Not in a million years. Still, it was hard to stay confident sitting in the dark, shackled and bleeding with no chance of escape.

Fatigue was setting in and her body felt heavy and weak. She was so thirsty it made her head spin. Her lips were cracked and dry, and she felt like this was it. The end was nigh, and she was in no way ready for it.

"So why were you speeding?" Brass had taken his place back in front of the man, Warrick beside him.

James shrugged.

"Things to do. You know how it is."

Brass placed an evidence bag in front of him, the bag containing two gold rings.

"Do these have anything to do with the speed?"

James looked at the rings for a second, anger flashing over his face before his calm reverie returned.

"Two rings. Why is that evidence?"

Brass shrugged.

"You tell us. Where were you the time of Sara's disappearance?"

James sat back in his seat, his arms crossed.

"At home."

Brass nodded and glanced at the glass mirror.

"And where do you live?"

James smirked.

"I just moved, I don't know the address by heart yet."

Brass looked at Warrick then nodded at the mirror. Within moments, both Nick and Catherine had entered the room, taking their place, standing beside Warrick. Brass looked at James, shaking his head.

"You chose the hard road. I do not pity you in the least."

Brass stood, inviting Catherine to take his chair, then he left the room.

"Well, if it isn't the great and mighty Catherine. Sara has told me so much about you."

Catherine glared at the man.

"Ok, let's cut to the chase," Catherine started. "You took Sara, where is she?"

James shook his head, ignoring the question. "You know that Sara is better than you? For one, she never was a stripper. And secondly, she at least will marry a man who loves her. Me."

Catherine raised her eyebrows at Nick and Warrick.

"Would you look at that, boys? Stalking Sara was not his only hobby."

Catherine made eye contact with the man again, narrowing her eyes in hatred. "So you did some research, big whoop. It will take more than that to affect us. So what were the rings for?" Catherine pushed the bag closer to the man, crossed her arms and waited.

"If you must know, before she disappeared, Sara agreed to marry me."

Catherine snorted loudly, a smirk on her face. "Yeah, right. Why would she marry you?"

The man gritted his teeth, and put his clenched fists on the table. "I'm a lot better then some people, bitch."

Catherine nodded, looking doubtfully at the man. "Oh yeah, you're a right catch. You know, drugging Sara and then dragging her from her own home proves that. Have I missed out, or what…" she finished rhetorically.

The man kept his fists on the table, clenching and unclenching them, grinding his teeth so loudly that even Warrick could hear it clearly.

"She was immoral. What I did was save her from that situation. I saved her soul. Do you imbeciles not see that? I saved her because I love her and she loves me."

His voice was low, but everybody in the room picked up what he said. Catherine leaned forward slightly, her interest peaked.

"So you saved her. You know where she is, don't you?"

James frowned and glared at Catherine, teeth still grinding.

"If I did, why tell you? You will take her out of the safety and back into the bad world."

Catherine sighed and swapped looks with Nick and Warrick. She sat back as Nick moved over to James' side and leaned close to his ear.

"You need to tell us where Sara is, or else we may lose our tempers. And I'm sure that neither of us wants that to happen."

James shrugged.

"Hurting me will get you nowhere. You want Sara? Find the person who took her."

Warrick leaned forward.

"We did, and it's you. If you didn't take her, then why is all the evidence pointing to you?"

James shrugged, a slick smile blooming on his thin lips.

"Your evidence is all just circumstantial. Sara and I were in a relationship, so a person seeing us together is no big deal. And I already told you about the blood."

Warrick stood behind Catherine, pacing slightly, clenching and unclenching his fists. He was trying to contain his anger and keep from the killing the man. A few seconds later, James called his lawyer, and with no other evidence they had to let him go.

"So how long are we planning to follow him?"

Catherine's voice was low and uneasy as she shifted in the back seat behind Grissom, trying to make herself more comfortable.

"Until he goes home. Wherever that may be."

Grissom's voice was calm, his eyes never wavered from the supermarket entrance that James had just walked through, as though scared to miss him leaving again. They had been trailing him for a good couple of hours, relying heavily on the fact that he was stupid enough to return to Sara right away. If he didn't go back or if he had killed her, there was nothing they could do.

Silence fell in the vehicle again. The air conditioning's low hum sounding loud and violent. Sometime later, James left the supermarket, arms loaded with bags, and hopped into his truck. Grissom kept three cars behind James on the road, ensuring no detection. They drove for a good two hours until the roads became empty, the city and noise left far behind. They parked well away from the house that James had just entered, hiding behind trees and shrubbery.

_**Song: Waiting For Magic – Ace of Base**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four – The Weakness In Me**

"Okay guys, here's the plan. Catherine, I want you at the door with me. Nick and Warrick, sneak around the back of the house, quietly. Find an entry point and find Sara or evidence of her being there. If he poses any threat, do what you have to. We have a warrant if anyone asks."

With a final nod at his team, Grissom left the vehicle, striding towards the house, Catherine at his side. They saw Nick and Warrick disappear behind some trees near the house, and confident that the men weren't seen, Grissom knocked on the door and stood back to wait for James to answer, the only thing stopping him from storming in the house was Catherine's hand on his elbow, reminding him she was there. Reminding him of what they had to do.

Nick followed silently behind Warrick, gun drawn and pointed to the ground, ready just in case. They managed to slip unseen to the back of the house, and while there, Nick paged Brass, telling him what was happening. They could hear faint voices at the front of the house, and confident that Catherine and Grissom were keeping James busy, Nick and Warrick set about trying to find the back door, which they found with relative ease after pushing back some untended bushes.

Nick opened the door silently, and swiftly moved into the small malodorous house and then froze. The house was so small that the back door was actually incredibly close to the front one, and Nick and Warrick had a clear view of Catherine, Grissom and James's back.

Putting his confidence in his workmates, hoping they could keep James busy enough for him and Warrick to slip into the room that he had spotted down a short hallway, he took a deep breath and slowly he moved towards the door, aware of Warrick's presence at his side. He turned the doorknob silently and quickly they both slipped into the dark room.

Nick pulled out his torch, examining his surroundings. The first thing he spotted was blood on the floor, and when he followed the trail the air left his body when he saw what they needed to convict James.

Sara sat propped against the far wall, her arms shackled high, her head fallen forward.

"Warrick, find a light switch, and then tell Grissom and Catherine that we found her."

Nick saw Warrick's torch search the walls and seconds later a bright light flooded the room, allowing Nick to see Sara more clearly. Her nightdress was blood-soaked on the left side, her pulse weak, her breathing visibly shallow and her face terribly bruised and cut. He heard the commotion out in the main room and it wasn't long before Grissom was at Sara's side.

"She needs an ambulance. I'll call for one. You stay here."

Grissom moved closer to Sara, and aided with some metal cutters that Warrick came in with, he managed to get her arms down, which caused a semi-conscious Sara to emit a slight moan. Grissom took off his coat and covered her pale body with it, and brought her closer to him trying to warm up her cold body while he waited for help to come.

Grissom carried Sara to the ambulance as soon as he heard it park outside of the shack's door, and laid her gently on a stretcher.

"Are you coming with us to the hospital?" one of the medics asked Grissom. "We need to go now."

Sara looked so small against the whiteness of the sheets, her blood making a red stain. Catherine, who was watching him load Sara into the ambulance, nodded to Grissom, not minding having to be in charge again.

"Okay."

Grissom sat on the stretcher opposite Sara, well out of the way of the medical staff working on her arm. They arrived at the hospital in only a few minutes, and rushed Sara inside. Grissom sat quietly in a plastic hospital chair, as he waited to hear from the doctor who was treating Sara.

"Mr Grissom? I'm Doctor Dorian. I'm treating Miss Sidle. Now unfortunately, she needed to be taken directly to surgery. I need you to sign some paperwork. You're her next of kin. It gives us permission to perform surgery on her. Now, before you say anything, let me tell you there is no other option. We need to get the bullet out, fix the shattered bone, and stop the bleeding."

Grissom nodded and shakily took the clipboard from the doctor, signing quickly. The doctor smiled kindly at Grissom, reading his worried look.

"Do not worry, sir. She is a strong, healthy young woman. This should be a safe procedure. I will call you as soon as we are done."

Grissom nodded and watched as the doctor left, preparing himself for a long wait.

Three hours later, the rest of the team sat with him in a silent vigil, their shift having ended just over an hour ago. They had processed the house and found the suspect's drugs as well as a vast supply of illegal firearms and placed the man under arrest.

They now all sat in the plastic hospital chairs, exhausted and glad that Sara was finally safe. An hour later, Dr Dorian came out a pleased look on his face. "It went fine, no complications at all. She's in recovery now. I'll send a nurse as soon as she is ready to receive guests." Dr Dorian left with a wide smile and Warrick jumped up.

"The gift shop is open, I'm going to go and get her some flowers."

Catherine grinned as Nick stood to follow.

"I'll go with, make sure he doesn't get roses."

Catherine yawned widely, running her fingers through her hair. "How're you holding up?" she asked Grissom.

Grissom smiled tiredly at her.

"Better then I was when Sara was gone."

Catherine looked at him.

"Are you going to tell her?"

Grissom looked at the tile floor in front of him, wondering how they got the floor so clean. He looked back at Catherine and shrugged.

"I have no idea. I guess the truth is always a winner in these kinds of situations."

Catherine's toned softened as she placed a hand on his forearm.

"You know when I told you that you were human and that you cannot step away from a case that involved Sara?"

Grissom nodded, his head still pointing at the floor.

"We both know that it's not a regular situation you have with her. If it was any one of us in that situation that Sara is in, we know you would work hard to find us. But this was more personal. There is something there between the two of you. I'm not sure what it is, but you need to tell her. Promise me you will tell her the truth."

Grissom turned and smiled at the women next to him, his friend for many years, his rock.

"I promise. Mother."

He ducked his head as Catherine swung an arm at him, a laugh escaping her lips for the first time in weeks.

"You okay for now? I have to get home to Lindsey, but tell Sara I'll be in later, okay?"

Grissom nodded and watched as Catherine walked off, his heart almost leaping out of his chest in fright when a nurse came and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Miss Sidle is ready for visitors now. She asked for a…" The nurse looked at her clipboard and then smiled at Grissom, "…Mr Gil Grissom."

Grissom nodded, stood, and followed the nurse down the hospital corridors, getting lost the moment the doors started whizzing around them. She stopped after a short while and pushed the door open, ushering him inside the room.

"You've got ten minutes, Mr Grissom. She needs her rest."

Grissom nodded and waited until the nurse had left before proceeding deeper into the room. It was a single room with one bed in the middle. Sara looked so painfully small lying in the centre of the bed, bright white sheets covering her lower torso. Her feet were poking out of the end of the bed, covered in clear gauze. An IV hung from her left arm, re-hydrating her, Grissom guessed. Her right arm was bandaged thickly, a semi cast covering the upper part. Her wrists were also dressed in thick white bandages. Her face was still horribly bruised, the cuts now cleaned and with sterile stripes on them.

"Are you going to come closer, or am I going to have to come to you?" Sara raspy voice jolted him from his reverie, and he smiled and moved closer to her bed, bringing a seat from across the room.

"How are you feeling?" Grissom's own voice sounded odd to him, bouncing off the small room's walls.

"Great. The drugs are awesome here. I can't feel any of my hurts. Definitely a good thing."

A very small weak smile formed on Sara's lips and she closed her eyes for a second then opened them again.

"Where is everyone?"

Grissom shrugged. "They went to go and get you something I think. Maybe they got lost. Catherine will be coming in later."

Sara smiled again and then motioned to the table beside her.

"Can you give me a drink?"

Grissom nodded and grabbed the cup, then brought the straw to Sara's dry lips and waited as she took a long drink. When she was done he put the cup back on the table then drew in a deep breath. He had to do it. He had to listen to Catherine and do something. Now, before it was too late, and before he lost his nerve. Before he could open his mouth, Sara spoke first.

"I learned something in my weeks of fun and adventure."

Grissom raised an eyebrow and tilted his head slightly. "And what would that be?"

"Not to wait for things to happen when I know that they won't."

"What do you mean?"

Sara shrugged her shoulders as much as her injured arm would allow - which wasn't much - raising her eyebrow.

"Us, for one."

Grissom swallowed hard and managed to spit out, "What about us?"

Sara rolled her eyes and half smiled at Grissom. "You're kidding right? Where have you been for the last few years? The thing we have. I have no idea what it is, but it is a thing. And I am sick of not taking the bull by the horns. So no more waiting around. A whole new Sara starting now."

Grissom nodded tightly, his heart sinking along with any hopes and courage he had left.

"Are you alright Grissom? You look pale."

The question was left hanging in the air as Warrick and Nick came traipsing in, carrying helium balloons, stuffed toys, flowers and chocolates.

"We got a little carried away," Nick said, by way of explanation.

He gave a big grin as he and Warrick started decorating the room - putting the flowers here and there, and allowing the balloons to float to the ceiling, making Sara feel like she was under a giant colourful cloud. They put the chocolates on the table with the stuffed toys, one of which was a plush white rabbit with a love heart attached to its paws that said 'Get Well Soon'. They gave Sara gentle hugs and settled themselves at the end of her bed, being careful of her feet.

"So what happened after I left with Sara?" Grissom asked in regards to Zachary James.

Nick glanced at Warrick then looked back at Grissom.

"He resisted arrest. We had to subdue him."

Grissom nodded, but didn't ask any more questions, instead turning back to Sara.

"The police will properly be in shortly to get your statement. We had better leave you to get some rest."

Sara nodded and gave both Nick and Warrick hugs before they left, frowning when Grissom left after a brief silent pause and a short nod. _That is not quite the reaction I wanted._

Sara felt hollow for the first time in a while. She had gotten out of the hospital finally, but even that brought limited happiness. She felt paranoid and insecure after what happened with the kidnapping and very hurt that Grissom had said nothing when she had made her announcement the other day. He had just stood there saying nothing, while all she had wanted him to do was take her in his arms and kiss the happiness back into her, or to tell her that what she had decided made perfect sense. Anything was better then the silence he had awarded her with.

So she did the only thing that seemed logical to her in her situation - she went to the local bar where she hadn't been for a while and bought a beer and a packet of cigarettes. She sat for a while mulling over how things had been for the last couple of months, about not drinking and being sober. She continued to stare at the cold brew that sat untouched before her, the sweat from the bottle making a little pool on the bar coaster that it sat on. The smokes beside them lay unopened, keeping the beer cheerful company.

"Staring at them is not going to make them go away."

Sara was concentrating so hard on the objects before her that she didn't realize that someone had sat in the chair beside her, and when she saw who is was she felt superbly guilty.

"How are you going, Sara?" Warrick focused Sara with an intense gaze, locking her eyes with his own.

Sara looked down quickly, feeling ashamed for what she was doing and where she was. "Just great. Wonderful. Fantastic. Thanks for asking."

Warrick got the bartender's attention and ordered two orange juices, asking the bartender to take away the beer before Sara, replacing it with the orange juice.

"So why are you here?"

Sara shrugged, allowing herself to open the packet of smokes, placing one between her lips and lighting it, for some reason feeling a need for rebellion against Warrick. She inhaled deeply, exhaling it into a little circle above Warrick's head.

"I have no idea. Why are you here?"

Warrick shrugged, removing a smoke and lighting it, exhaling out the side of his mouth. "Went for a walk - ended up here."

"I didn't know you smoked."

Warrick gave a small shrug, before taking a sip of his orange juice.

"I quit quite a while ago for a girlfriend who said I stunk. What about you? You didn't smoke when you came here."

Sara took a small sip of her orange juice, allowing the bitter sweetness to cool her burning throat.

"Quit for health reasons really. My aunt died of cancer after smoking a pack a day for 30 years. It gave me a fright."

Warrick nodded and they sat in silence for a little longer before Warrick spoke again.

"So what really brings you here? You seemed fine at the hospital."

Sara took a deep inhalation of her smoke before answering, watching the smoke swirl and then disappear.

"Have you ever been in love with someone who is totally blind to your existence? And so to see what they would say, you pretended not to be interested?"

Warrick snorted through his nose, bestowing Sara with a knowing grin.

"Girlfriend, you are talking to the king of unrequited love. Why, who is the guy?"

Sara shrugged.

"Just a guy I have known for a few years. He is so blind to me that I want to hit him to see how he reacts."

Warrick nodded, staring not at Sara but at the bottles at the back of the bar top.

"Grissom is a bit oblivious. It's not his fault, it is just him."

Sara's put out the butt of her smoke, taping her now empty hands on the bar impatiently.

"So you knew then, huh?"

Warrick smiled at Sara, his white teeth clashing with his creamy dark skin. "If you guys were the CIA, I would be worried for the welfare of the country that is for sure."

"Who else knows?"

Warrick shrugged, taking a small sip of his orange juice. "Everyone. It's like an unspoken thing, I guess. I think Greg is the only one who is oblivious, simply because he has a crush on you."

Sara allowed a small smile to come to her face, playing with the straw that speared the centre of her drink.

"Greg has a crush on anything with a set of boobs and a pulse. So if everybody knows, then why doesn't Grissom?"

Warrick shrugged and turned his body towards her more. "Why did you say? What did he say?"

"I told him that I was sick of waiting for things to happen between us. I had expected him to jump in and say something but he just walked off."

"Well that's it then. Grissom would never push, especially after what you have been through recently. He was giving you what he thought you needed - space."

Sara shook her head aggressively.

"I don't want or need space. I need him."

"You are telling the wrong man. You need to tell that to Grissom."

"And how seriously do you think he would take me?"

Warrick shrugged again, playing with the napkin that was under his drink.

"I suppose it depends on how you approach him. You should just ring him up and invite him out to dinner. That should do it. I know that it's going to be hard for you both. Showing someone how you feel means that you have to be willing to expose your vulnerability. Something you are both not familiar with."

Sara nodded and the silence lapsed between them again. She had to do something to get Grissom back, to make him realize how she felt. She had to tell him.

Later that night, after Warrick had taken her out for some dinner and dropped her off at home, Sara sat down and wrote Grissom a short note.

_Grissom,_

_I need to talk to you about something. Do you think that we could meet up on your day off on Saturday? I know this great Italian restaurant called Altissimo Italiano, near my home. Meet me there at 8:00pm. Call me if you cannot make if for any reason._

_Sara_

She folded it, put it into an envelope, and left it on her beside table next to the glass of water she kept there, rolled over and went to sleep. Grissom's reaction to her announcement in the hospital was playing over and over in her mind.

It was about 4:30am when she awoke in a cold sweat, finding the bedclothes wrapped around her legs in tight bindings. She sat forward trying to catch her breath when she heard a noise in the kitchen. It was the kind of noise that before the kidnapping she would have ignored, but paranoia set in again, her heart pounding hard in her chest, she reached for her gun and slipped silently out of her bed and headed carefully for the kitchen turning on all of the lights as she went.

She was shaking as she did the full house search that was becoming frighteningly familiar, sighing slightly as the source of the noise was found in one of her plants making a scrapping noise as a window she had forgotten to close let the wind in ruffling it slightly. Sara sat heavily at the kitchen table, the nightmare that woke her coming back in intense waves. She smelt him, felt him beside her and all she could see was the darkness that had surrounded her those three weeks. Sara needed something to calm her to put her to sleep again. It took a second for her to decide what to do, and as she dialled she made herself more comfortable in bed.

"Grissom" came the short answer.

His voice, even with that one word made her feel so much better. Safer.

"Grissom, its Sara. I'm not disturbing you, am I?"

"No, of course not. How can I help you? Are you okay?"

Sara could hear him shift slightly, a small crackle travelling up the phone.

"Not really. I had another nightmare, and then I did one of those full house sweeps that I have gotten into a habit of. That is not a good thing to get into. I just needed to talk to someone. Do you have time?"

"Of course. Everybody left early - there was nothing to do. Do you want me to come over, Sara?"

Silence fell as Sara decided what to say. Her fear over came any kind of rational thinking that should have occurred.

"Could you? I mean, I know that it's late…"

"It's no trouble. Really it's not. I'll be there soon. Just make sure there's coffee."

Sara allowed herself a small smile as she got up and headed to the kitchen, putting a fresh pot of coffee on.

"Thanks Grissom."

"See you soon."

Twenty minutes later there was a knock on the door, and Sara jumped a little, even though she was expecting it. Her hand shook as she looked through the peephole, and she relaxed when she saw Grissom. She released the three locks on her door, and Grissom slipped in quietly and waited patiently as she relocked the door.

"I feel kind of dumb for asking you here, Grissom. I don't know what I was thinking."

Grissom had moved into the kitchen and was busy pouring a coffee for Sara and himself.

"Have you eaten?"

Sara shook her head, and cringed slightly as he opened her fridge. She hadn't done any kind of shopping and had been living on takeaways and microwave meals. A few eggs, some milk and a small lump of cheese were the only things that sat in her hollow fridge.

"You need to eat healthily, Sara. Your body went through a hell of an ordeal. I'm going to make you some eggs. Omelette ok?"

Sara nodded and watched Grissom move around the kitchen, absorbed in his task.

"So you were home when I called?"

Grissom nodded his head slightly as he added some cheese to the eggs.

"Yep. Just doing paperwork, so you really saved me from a very boring morning. Are you cold?"

Sara had started shivering, goose pimples rising on her skin.

"Yeah just a little. I'll go and get a blanket."

Grissom held up a hand.

"I will. Where is it?"

Sara directed him to her room, forgetting for a moment about the letter on her bedside table that had 'Grissom' written on it in bold letters. He came out a few seconds later with a rug, a jumper and the letter in his hand.

"What's this?"

Sara took her time answering as she put on the jumper, and then throwing the blanket over her legs which were mostly bare thanks to her boxers.

"It's for you. Just take it home. I wanted to meet for dinner one night. That's all."

Grissom glanced at her through narrowed eyes before he turned back to the eggs on the stove. He produced two plates, and halving the omelette, placed one half of the omelette in front of her, with a salt and pepper canister.

"Eat."

Sara nodded, watching as Grissom slipped her letter into his back pocket, where she would never be able to get it back. They ate in silence, the clanking of cutlery the only sound. Despite the silence and his slightly chilly demeanour, Grissom's presence gave her a definite sense of calm. She felt much better after having something to eat, and her eyes felt heavy. Before she could stop it, a big yawn escaped her.

"Off to bed. I have the perfect cure for nightmares."

Sara moved into her room, surprised when Grissom followed her bringing in a backpack that she never noticed when he had first came in, and settled himself on the bed. For a split second, before her rational mind came charging in, Sara thought he was implying sex as a cure to her nightmares. Not that she would have complained, but he could at least take her to dinner first. She stood there for a second too long and Grissom took it as distinct hesitation.

"Sara, get into bed."

Sara did as she was told, snuggling deep under the covers, getting herself comfortable before facing Grissom. She watched as he pulled out one of his huge, thick, bug books, opened it, and proceeded to read. Sara closed her eyes and let Grissom's smooth even voice lull her into sleep, dung beetles rolling around in her head.

Sara awoke to faint snoring. A second of panic ripped through her before she remembered Grissom and his solution to nightmares. She rolled over as neatly and as carefully as she could, to face Grissom. He lay with his hands over his book, which had fallen open on his lap. He had kicked off his shoes at one point during the night, and Sara noticed a small hole in the sock on the right foot, where his little toe could be seen, the soft skin and short nail shining slightly, almost like he had polish on it. His hair was mussed, and his mouth was hanging open slightly, a small snuffle coming out every now and then. His smell hung in the air, a manly scent of soap and some spice that Sara could not put her finger on.

It made her feel safe, and secure. She could not believe that, even for a second, she had thought Grissom would suggest sex. She could have kicked herself. Even though he never heard her thought, she could just imagine what he had been thinking. Sara slipped quietly from beneath the blankets, throwing the rug she had left on the floor over Grissom, and quietly closed the door behind her. Sara went into the kitchen and proceeded to clean up after this morning's early breakfast, and putting more coffee on the machine. She was just contemplating a shower when Grissom walked into the dining room, his clothes wrinkled and smelling like sleep.

"Sorry - I didn't mean to fall asleep. I was more tired than I thought I guess."

Sara shook her head and handed Grissom a mug of coffee.

"That's okay. Really, it is. I need to go and have a shower and then I'll get you some towels and you can have one too. Oh, and before I forget, I wanted to apologize."

Grissom sat at the dining room table cleaning his glasses and looking at her with interest.

"Oh really? What for? I mean, aside from appearing at the door half naked?" He smiled at her as she blushed and looked down at herself, quite forgetting that all she wore was a pair of boxer shorts and a silk top with thin straps, one that covered just the bare necessities that came from a set that she had gotten from Hank.

"Sorry, I really should go and get changed." She turned to leave and Grissom grabbed her wrist.

"I was kidding Sara, relax. This is your home so you can dress how you please. Now, what is it you wanted to apologize for?"

Sara turned back to face Grissom, crossing her arms across her chest.

"For saying those things to you before I was taken. I should never have let my temper get the better of me like that. I was just hurt that you and Warrick doubted me. So, I'm sorry."

Grissom nodded and then stood in front of Sara, putting his hands on her bare shoulders.

"That's okay. You're right, I never should have doubted you. We were worried, and you displayed the same symptoms you had while you were drinking. So now that we are even, you go and have a shower and get dressed before you catch a cold."

He turned her and gave her a slight push in the general direction of the bathroom, turning himself to the task of finishing the cleaning in the kitchen.

Sara enjoyed a long hot shower for the first time in weeks, her previous ones being as short as possible because she was constantly worried about someone coming into her home and attacking her. She pulled on a pair of her oldest jeans - the ones with sunflowers on the back pockets - a red shirt that had a print of the Mona Lisa on it and a pair of fresh white socks. She had managed to find an electric razor that Hank had never gotten back, a fresh cake of soap, and some nice neat towels, which she laid on the sink by the shower. Then after combing her hair, she moved back into the kitchen, sitting on the sofa, next to Grissom who was looking over her book collection.

"Jane Eyre, Tom Sawyer, Oliver Twist and Sherlock Holmes. You like the classics, do you?"

Sara nodded, brushing her fingers softly against the spine of the collector's edition of Jane Eyre.

"Yeah, I do. I mean, there are no mass murders, no obscene sex bits, and a story that makes you feel good. Have you ever read Jane Eyre?"

Grissom shook his head, opening the book and skimming through it quickly.

"No, never really got around to it. I was always more into factual books. What other ones do you have?"

Sara moved aside her dictionary, and pulled out three other books, handing them to Grissom.

"Ah," he responded. "Frankenstein, Jekyll and Hyde, and A Tale of Two Cities. Wow, I am impressed. I also see that you have almost the entire Charles Dickens selection - are they reprints?"

Sara nodded.

"Yeah, unfortunately, but they do have the original pictures. I don't have the kind of money needed to track down all the originals. They can go up into the thousands. I am more than happy with my reprints. You need to read Jane Eyre. You really do. It's not really a chick book, it's written brilliantly and it has mystery, death and romance."

Grissom nodded, putting the book carefully into the bag that was on the floor in front of him.

"I will take good care of it, I promise."

Sara moved back to sit next to Grissom, and had just gotten comfortable when he asked a question that caught her off guard.

"When you were taken, did he do anything to you? I mean… inappropriate?"

Sara twisted a strand of damp hair around her finger without thinking, a sudden shiver making her teeth chatter a little. When she finally spoke, it was in a quite, subdued voice that contrasted starkly with the way she was talking just a few seconds ago.

"Catherine told me that he kidnapped and raped his ex-wife 18 months ago. The truth is Grissom, I don't know. He knocked me out once to move me from my home and then again to change houses. If he did anything it wasn't while I was awake, which I am grateful for."

"So you didn't do a swab test or anything?"

Sara shook her head.

"Did an AIDS test and all the others, but not that one. I don't want to know, Grissom. I would rather live with the idea that he didn't touch me in that way. I've seen what that kind of trauma can do to someone emotionally, physically, and mentally. A friend of mine was raped while I was at University, and she was one of the strongest people I have ever met. And you know what's happened to her, Grissom? She has turned into herself. She has no recollection of the year that it happened, as if her brain wiped if from her memory. I have enough issues without that one sitting on my chest."

Sara's voice, while still quiet, took on a determined tone and she stared hard at Grissom.

"I'm alright, really I am. I went out with Warrick last night. Well actually the more precise thing is that he found me at a bar."

Grissom raised his eyebrows at Sara, but remained silent, letting her finish.

"I didn't drink anything harder then OJ. I just needed to get out, and I was confused about some things. We went out to dinner and I got the solution I craved, which was great."

"So what was the problem?"

Sara shrugged.

"Nothing important. You had better go and have a shower before it gets too late. Do you want me to iron your shirt?"

Grissom looked down and pulled his shirt away from him slightly, examining it.

"Well if we are going to go out in the living, I had better look presentable. Thanks."

He stood and headed for the bathroom, going inside and a second later holding out his shirt through the barely open door. Sara smiled a little. She would never have thought of Grissom being modest. Conservative maybe, but not modest. Sara happily accepted the shirt and proceeded to iron it, giving Grissom clean lines with no wrinkles.

"Are you done with it yet? It's getting kind of cold in there."

Grissom stood topless near the entrance to the living room, a cloud of steam giving him a mystic kind of appearance. Sara could never picture Grissom as being buff or overly muscular and in this case she was right. He had slightly muscular arms, a firm but not washboard stomach, and a not overly smooth chest.

"Yeah. All done."

Sara handed Grissom his shirt and watched as the smooth flesh disappeared behind the curtain of cotton.

"I read your letter. Can't you just ask me the question?"

Sara continued to put the ironing board away before turning to Grissom.

"I didn't want you to feel pressured. If I asked you here and now, you would feel the need to say yes. I want you to be able to think about it."

Grissom shook his head.

"I don't need to think. Ask me."

Sara looked at Grissom for a moment trying to gather her thoughts. She didn't like being in this situation where she had to expose what shouldn't be in the open for the whole world to see. For a split second she was tempted to just tell him to not worry about any of it and that he could go home and she was fine. She didn't do this because she didn't think she had the energy to maintain such a lie. She needed him to be with her and if he couldn't then she needed to hear it to move on properly with her life. Or what was left of it anyway.

"I lied to you, Grissom. I was so terrified that if I told you the truth that I would lose you."

Grissom remained silent, watching and studying her, which made her nervous.

"I still like you, Grissom, a lot. I did get time to think when I was taken and I thought about you most of the time. About the time I've wasted waiting for you instead of doing something about it. So here it is, Grissom. I want to be with you, do you want to be with me? No more games or lies. Just the truth."

Sara stood in front of him now, her confidence returning. If he said no, she was ready. She just wasn't sure what she would do if he said yes. Worse still, what she would do if there was no answer at all.

Grissom ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it from its once semi-tidy placement, his face unreadable. Sara let the silence run for a few more moments before she plastered a small fake smile on her face, one for a fact she knew that didn't come anywhere near her eyes.

"We had better go and do that shopping then," she said, breaking the silence. "Do you mind if we go in my truck? I have shopping bags in there ready to go."

Sara grabbed her keys, wallet and cell phone, leaving Grissom to lock the door behind him, not wanting him to see the tears that had already started, due to his silence.

_**Song: The Weakness In Me – Joan Armatrading**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five - Miscommunication**

After two hours of hollow conversation and pretending to enjoy each others' company, Grissom finally left her alone at her apartment, leaving her to dwell in her own thoughts.

After unloading the shopping, Sara felt like the walls were closing in on her, the air too old and the view too depressing. She went into her room, changed into a jogging suit and headed out the door, needing air to clear her thoughts and to refocus on the situation that sat ahead of her.

As she ran she realized that she had left her ipod at home on her dresser, but it didn't seem to matter. With every footfall, and every heartbeat, she felt a little better, as the cobwebs cleared out of her head. She was well into her normal path when she realized that this was the first time she was out alone properly, and just before a swell of panic started in her chest, her confidence and anger at Grissom and herself made the panic slide behind the other emotions. _Why the hell did you take Warrick's advice? Why did you listen to a man how to solve this problem? You brought it all on yourself. _

Grissom had been a part of her life and thoughts for so long that it was hard to picture moving on without him there in her head or in front of her. It was like a bad cold that she couldn't kick, not that Grissom was all that unpleasant. He did have a lot of traits that balanced him out. Like when you talked, he listened, and not 'listened' in a guy way either, but actually focused on you.

His observation skills of others had improved hugely lately, though being oblivious was at the very core of him and that threw Sara off every time.

It was the little things he did. Like when he gave her a book for Christmas the other year, or the plant he had given her to apologize for being an ass.

Her mind censured her.

_What are you doing Sidle?_ _You are not meant to list the things that make him appealing! He brushed you off, not once - but twice. What am I doing? Waiting for number three? _Sara gave her head a quick shake, her anger at herself escalating. _Why did I think that Grissom would want to be with me, Sara Sidle, who has a really bad history as well as present? I have nothing to offer him aside from a lot of trouble. Time to move on, you can't wish for the impossible, Sidle. _

Sara continued to run, the tears and anger rising in her chest fuelling the angry strides that made her ache all over, matching the pain that now resided in her heart.

Grissom was in a state of shock. Definitely not a good thing, due to the fact that Sara had taken it all the wrong way. He didn't get a chance to explain to Sara that his silence wasn't because he didn't want to be with her, but because she had caught him off guard, like she always did.

Work that night had been nothing except a big blur of bodies and files on his desk. And long after everybody else had left, he still sat, a mug of long-forgotten tea in his hand, trying to process what had happened hours before. _I shouldn't need to process it. Sara is what I have wanted for so long, and now that I have her I am sitting here thinking about it? _Despite the berating he was giving himself, he couldn't make himself call her or stand and go over to her house and talk to her. For the life of him, he didn't know what was going to happen with Sara and himself, and he had no idea how to prepare himself for the aftershock that was bound to come.

A few weeks later, Sara had finally made her way back to work and was biting at the bit to get started. Never would she have thought that the halls would feel so good to walk down, or that she would be greeted as though she had been gone for years not weeks.

"Sara, you're back!"

Greg, Nick, Warrick and Catherine all gave her a hug as soon as she walked into the break room, and as she sat she noticed Grissom sitting quietly in the corner, his eyes on her.

"Welcome back, Sara."

His voice was quiet, even with a touch of sadness, which Sara didn't have the energy to wonder at its presence. She felt a slight tug on her sleeve and was faced with an eager faced Greg.

"Let me guess. You want to see my scar?"

Greg nodded a big grin on his face. With a sigh, Sara lifted her sleeve revealing a puckered pink scar that was an uneven little circle.

"Was there an exit point?"

Sara shook her head as Greg gently fingered the scar, pushing and poking it. Sara pulled away slightly and handed him the small container out of her handbag.

"As requested. The one and only bullet that will ever enter and exit my body."

Greg graced Sara with another grin as he examined his prize, shrugging when the others eyed him confusion on their faces.

"I wanted to start a weird and wacky collection like Grissom. Sara was more then happy to contribute."

She sat herself next to Nick, who put his arm around her, pulling her into his side, and scuffing her hair slightly with the other hand.

"It's so good to have you back. He missed you."

Nick nodded slightly towards Grissom, and look at Sara expectantly, waiting for the familiar face softening that usually followed, when he didn't get the reaction he expected he looked at Sara, concerned.

"It's over Nick. That part of my life is over."

Nick turned his attention back to Grissom as he started listing the assignments, not quite sure how to process the words that had fallen from his friend's lips.

Catherine, Nick and Warrick sat alone in the break room a few hours later, under the pretence of lunch when really they were discussing Grissom and Sara.

"What did Grissom do now? He had her on a golden platter and now she acts like he is nothing to her."

Catherine shrugged at Nick's question as she dug into her sandwich. "He told me nothing. Neither did Sara. Warrick, do you know anything?"

Two sets of eyes fell on Warrick who nodded slightly.

"When I caught up with Sara, she was down. So I told her she needed to tell Grissom how she felt. That was it and then suddenly they are on the outs."

"I did tell him, and the answer was very clear."

Sara stood in the doorway, leaning against the door jam. She moved into the break room and plopped onto a seat across from the other three.

Catherine put down her sandwich, turning her full attention to the younger woman. "What did he say?"

Sara sat back in the seat, arms crossed, face expressionless.

"Nothing. He just stood there. I am not going to waste my time or energy on something that would never happen. Time for everyone to move on."

Sara got up and left, and not wanting them to see the tears that started again, she headed to the locker room, wanting to have a moment to get herself together. She had spent weeks preparing herself to face Grissom again, and she was feeling confident until she saw him sitting there in the corner. He looked like he hadn't slept, his hair was all mussed and his clothes wrinkled. And his voice… It sounded so sad, so hollow. As much as she tried, her feelings for Grissom always popped up, no matter how hard she had tried to swallow them and put it down to another life lesson.

Sara had realized over the past couple of weeks as she analysed her feelings for Grissom that it wasn't just 'like'. It was something else entirely. She had liked Hank a lot but she would never have said she had loved him. She enjoyed being in his company, but when he wasn't there, it was no big deal. But with Grissom she felt his absence, and then he filled her thoughts. With work, even when she wasn't on a case with him, his words were still rolling around in her head.

_This is so pathetic. What the hell was I thinking? There is no way that I can get over him when he is sitting there staring me in the face every day when I come to work. It's time to bite the bullet and decide if this job is worth keeping or if it is time to move on. _

Sara was so busy thinking that she didn't see Grissom sitting on the bench beside her locker until he had cleared his throat. _You hate him remember? Don't let him do this to you again._

"Hi, Grissom. I thought you would be in your office doing paperwork."

Sara kept her voice light, the conversation casual.

"Are you mad with me, Sara?"

Grissom kept his voice low and even, his hands on his thighs. He kept his eyes on Sara as she stood so close to him that he could smell her sweet shampoo. Her face changed rapidly, from guilt, to anger until finally settling on disbelief. She sat heavily next to him shaking her head and mumbling under her breath, speaking so low that Grissom didn't catch anything.

"You are unbelievable," she said, more clearly. "You really are. And just so you know it's not a compliment."

Grissom raised his eyebrows.

"So that's a 'yes' then?"

Sara shook her head at Grissom, her eyebrows shooting into her hairline.

"Are you blind as well as almost deaf? Do you see anything that is happening in front of you?"

Sara was furious, and Grissom watched as her demeanour changed entirely. She had her hands clutched at her sides in tight fists, she was shaking and her breathing was rapid.

"For a man of your intellect, you are quite stupid."

Grissom held up his hands in mock surrender.

"I think I know why you are mad at me, Sara, so just give me a chance to explain, okay?"

When she didn't jump up and stride off, Grissom took that as an invitation to continue.

"I was wrong and I'm sorry. I should have said something, done something."

Sara stayed quiet, her head leaning slightly forward, her face covered by her hair that had fallen forward, making it impossible for Grissom to gauge her reaction.

"I like you too, Sara. You caught me off guard, which you seem to have developed a habit of doing."

Sara raised her head, and Grissom felt his heart tug when he saw the tears that were making a path down her cheeks.

"You left me hanging for four weeks, Grissom. And you know what else I had time to learn? I don't just like you, Grissom. I fell head over heels in love with you, long before any of this came to a head. But I found that you could love and hate someone at the same time, and I hate you Grissom. I hate what you've made me become, I hate you for making me doubt myself and my job, I hate how you have taken over my head and I hate how I keep coming back time after time…"

Before Sara could say anything else, Grissom had leaned forward and kissed her softly on the lips, silencing her anger. Sara pulled back, fury flashing in her brown eyes.

"Who the hell do you think you are? You make me torture myself for weeks at a time and you kiss me? Do you think that that is going to fix it?"

And with that Sara walked out of the locker room, leaving Grissom to question his actions once again.

_**Song: Miscommunication – Delta Goodrem**_


	6. Chapter 6

**_A/N_** – _So this is it folks. The final chapter in this story. I hope that you are all happy with how it has been concluded and that all tied ends and tethered securely. My biggest critic during all this has been my little sister, who deemed the whole Sara/Grissom thing as pathetic. I am always interested in what people think, so please tell me. Thank you for reading and I hope to bring you another story soon. _

**Chapter Six - Safety's Just Danger out Of Place**

The day of Zachary James' hearing came too soon for Sara, whose nightmares of what had happened had yet to cease. She felt stronger though when the rest of the team offered to go with her. Even Brass was there offering silent support. Sara had to sit down just before they entered the courtroom where the hearing was to take place, her body reacting violently to the idea of seeing his face again. Catherine followed her into the ladies' room and held her hair back as she emptied her stomach of what little breakfast she had.

"You okay? Feel any better?"

Catherine fluttered anxiously at her side, pressing a cold wet cloth into Sara's hands. Sara wiped down her face and took some deep breaths before she answered.

"Just as long as you don't leave me alone, I think I'll be okay."

Catherine kept an arm around her shoulders as they headed back to the courtroom, and surrounded by her team, Sara entered feeling a little stronger then she had before.

"Please rise for Judge Susan Remington."

Sara stood, as did the rest of the courtroom, and waited while the judge, black robes flowing behind her, took her seat.

"Please be seated," the judge started. "Now, as I understand it, this man is not to face a jury of his peers. Would someone please explain this too me? Keep in mind that I have read the file on what he did to Miss Sara Sidle and Mrs Jane Dionna."

Sara watched as a tall well-dressed man stood, giving her a clear view of the man that had kept her locked up for three weeks. He was wearing a suit, and even though his hair had been cut and washed, he still looked somewhat dishevelled. Sara gripped Catherine's hand harder as memories washed over her and his smell come back full force, assaulting her nostrils.

"Dylan Summer, for the defence, your Honour. My client was on an experimental drug that prohibited him from thinking clearly, and made him act irrationally."

The Judge looked at Dylan Summer with complete disdain from over the top of her glasses.

"According to the reports I have in front of me, he paid a doctor to give him the drugs. For it to happen once was a mistake, but the fact that he was released from prison after kidnapping and sexually assaulting his wife, and demanded to go on the drug again, this is not a mistake. Explain to me, Mr Summer, as to why your client did this."

Dylan Summer shifted slightly under the judge's glare.

"He was in pain, your Honour. And this was the only drug that helped him with it."

The judge looked at the papers in front of her again.

"Did he remember anything he did? To either Miss Sidle or Mrs Dionna?"

The laywer nodded and opened his mouth to comment but the judge silenced him with a raised hand.

Judge Remington shook her head, and turned her attention to the other lawyer sitting across from her.

"And what do you need to say Mr Hill? Anything as stupid as I just heard?"

The younger man shook his head, smiling slightly.

"No, your Honour. I just wanted to say that this man has offended two women, and letting him go free would surely mean that another woman has to have her life damaged beyond repair just because he wanted to get rid of his pain. I ask that you take this to the full extent that the law will allow."

The judge nodded and dismissed the young man, allowing him to sit again.

"The court is dismissed for an hour. We will meet again at 11:00am."

She banged her gavel and in another billow of black robes she was gone. Sara sat still as the courtroom emptied, until it was just her and her team sitting silently, her hand still gripping Catherine's tightly.

"You still breathing, Sara?"

Nick's light comment made Sara smile slightly, as she nodded.

"Yeah, just. I need a coffee."

The rest of the team followed her as she led the way towards the courthouse coffee stand, where they all ordered, then went to sit in the hot Nevada sun.

Sara found herself sitting next to Grissom, and for the first time in weeks, not caring. She leaned on him slightly, allowing her head to fall on his shoulder, just needing someone to lean on, needing to feel the safeness that being near him invoked.

"Are you okay?"

Sara shook her head against his shoulder, taking a small sip of her coffee. She noticed how the rest of the team had conveniently dispersed to other ends of the quad. _Talk about obvious._

"I need you to tell me it will be okay, Grissom. I need to know that I can get through this."

She felt Grissom shift slightly, his breath now tickling her bare neck and ear.

"You are one of the strongest people I have ever met, Sara. If you can't get through this then no one can. It will all be fine."

Sara smiled a little, feeling a little flushed by the compliment, as she turned her eyes back on his, which were solemn. She settled herself back on his shoulder.

"Promise?"

She felt Grissom nod.

"I promise. Trust me, it will be fine."

Sara allowed herself to close her eyes, and felt her body relax and lean more on Grissom, who shifted his body weight to accommodate her.

"I'm sorry for what I have done, Sara," came a new voice, slick in nonchalance. "Can you ever forgive me?"

Her heart clenched in panic as the horribly familiar voice came washing over her. She felt Grissom stiffen and when she finally managed to gather the courage to open her eyes, Zachary James stood before her.

_This is just a horrible dream, I must have fallen sleep. Yeah that's it. This is not happening. _

Grissom stood so suddenly that Sara almost toppled right over, his fists clenched and his eyes flashing dangerously. Zachary James stood before him, coolly confident, not one trace of regret on his face, his smile easy and calm.

Grissom lashed out quickly, his fist connecting with Zachary's jaw, wiping the smile off of his face. Blood pulled on the ground near Sara's feet, making a small neat circle. Grissom lashed again, this time connecting with the man's stomach, knocking the air out of him with a steady _whoosh_.

It was then that the team reacted, Nick, Brass, Warrick and Greg pulling Grissom away from the man before he pounded him again. It took all four of them to pull off the furious Grissom, who strained against their strength like an enraged bull. Zachary stood, smiled slightly at Sara, and moved away, his stride less confident and a little jolted. Sara continued to sit, feeling dazed and confused. _Grissom just beat up a suspect. Grissom, of all people. Mr Straight-and-Narrow, just beat up a suspect right outside the courthouse._

"Are you alright, Sara?"

Grissom was at her side again, the others feeling that it was safe to let him go now that Zachary was out of sight. Sara glanced at his right hand, which had a nice set of bloody knuckles, and then back at him, her eyes wide.

"You know you just hit a suspect, right?"

Grissom winced slightly as he opened and closed his hand, testing to see how much damage was done.

"Yeah, I know. I lost it. He just stood there, and he was so smug. I'm sorry - I never should have let my temper get the better of me."

Sara continued to stare at him.

"I would never have expected you to do that. Nick and Warrick, yeah, Greg maybe, or even Catherine, but not you. Why did you do that?"

Grissom shrugged, his hand forgotten.

"After what he did to you, he just came and stood smugly before you asking your forgiveness. It would have been fine if he actually meant it, but he didn't. I just snapped."

Sara nodded, and removed a tissue from her handbag, making it damp with a little bottle of water she had in there. She took Grissom's hand in hers and proceeded to gently wipe away the blood, taking care to not hurt him. It was then that the judge's guard came to tell them they had five minutes until court was back in session. Sara finished cleaning up Grissom's hand but kept it clasped loosely in her own, her coffee long forgotten. The electricity that she had always shared with him zipped up her arm making her mind swim and her body tingle all the way down to her toes.

"We should head back to the courtroom. Come on."

Grissom gently pulled Sara up behind him, his hand tightening around hers. The team moved quietly back to the room, Sara for the first time noting how dishevelled the boys looked, thanks to the scuffle outside. Within minutes, Zachary was back in the courtroom, his mouth now cleaned, a spot or two of blood on his blue tie. They stood as Judge Remington took her seat again at the front of the courtroom.

"Please be seated. I have read over the files from top to bottom and I still do not understand why this man is not going to go in front of his peers for what he has done. Instead it has fallen on my shoulders to be the judge, jury and executioner, and I'm afraid, Mr James, that you will not like my decision. You not only indecently assaulted one of the women but you shot the other. You docked weeks off of their lives, weeks which they can never get back. So in light of the evidence, you are sentenced to 12 years in a national prison, and then on parole for another six when you leave the institution. I also demand that you take counselling, and other management classes. You are welcome to appeal, Mr Summer, but I doubt that any one of my peers will disagree with my decision. Court dismissed."

Sara felt the first proper smile in weeks creep up on her, and it grew bigger when she saw how quickly Zachary's face fell as the punishment was handed down, his confidence falling away entirely. She felt everybody hug her and murmur their congratulations, and she stayed there until it was just her and Grissom left in the courtroom, his hand still clasped in hers.

"I told you that you could do it. How do you feel?"

Sara felt tears start making tracks down her cheeks, as she broke down. _It's finally over. _She could move on with her life without this black cloud hanging over her.

Grissom let go of her hand and put his arm around her, letting her cry into his shoulder. After a while, the heaving sobs had finally reduced to small hiccups, Grissom's calm and steady presence making her feel better.

"Sorry. It's a relief that this is done. Finally I can move on from this."

Grissom nodded his head, wiping a wayward tear with the pad of his thumb.

"You don't need to be sorry. I'm just glad you are ok. You ready to go home?"

Sara shook her head, and nuzzled a little closer to Grissom.

"Nope. I just want to sit with you a little while. Is that alright with you?"

Grissom squeezed Sara's shoulder, resting his cheek on her soft hair.

"I could think of nothing I would rather do."

_Life is good._ Sara sighed happily as she held onto Grissom's hand. They were thrown side to side as the roller coaster took another stomach-churning bend. Her hair flew in her face as the ride swung them upside down, and she allowed herself to scream and squeal, her grip on Grissom's hand tightening as the bends became closer and closer together. The thrill was over too soon for Sara's liking, and as they hopped off the ride, Sara dragged him to the end of the queue of people waiting, and grinned at him.

"_So_ going again. That was great - I can see why you ride them so much."

Grissom watched as Sara's happiness overtook her whole face, signalled with a wide grin, her dimple deeper than he had ever seen it before. Her hair was completely mussed, strands thrown one way or the other, her cheeks flushed, and she had never looked sexier to him.

He leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the lips. Her mouth was firm and warm. After a moment of surprise, she wrapped her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his hair lightly. People went around them as the queue moved forward, deciding not to interrupt the happy couple. Not that Sara and Grissom noticed the movement or noise around them - they were lost in their own world, locked in each other's arms. After what seemed like mere seconds, they broke apart, and laughed when the saw how they had somehow came to the end of the line of people.

"I guess they moved around us."

Sara ran a hand through her hair, trying to fix it and put it into some sort of order, fully aware of this being the turning point in her and Grissom's relationship. Grissom took her hands in his and laid another soft kiss on her flushed lips, his forehead coming to rest on her own, his voice low and soft.

"No more games. All or nothing. You brave enough?"

Sara moved her head away from his and kissed his forehead, breathing in his scent, keeping her voice low and as soft as Grissom's.

"Someone once told me that I was one of the strongest people they knew. So, yeah, I think I can handle you. What about you? Think you can handle me?"

Grissom nodded, his hand coming to brush a strand of hair off her face.

"It would be my pleasure. I wanted to tell you something."

He pulled her closer so that her ear was level with his mouth, and as he spoke his lips tickled her earlobe.

"I think I'm in love with you. You running yet?"

Sara pulled away slightly and smiled at him. His blue eyes were serious, and he was holding her like he would never let go, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

"Why would I run away from the only man who gets me? The only man I know who lets me yell in his face, insult him, and worry him silly? The only man I know who would not give up on me? The only person I know who would come over to my house at some unholy hour to read me to sleep? You're not going to shake me that easily Mister. Get used to having me around, because I'm not going anywhere."

Sara pulled him to her again and hugged him tightly, enjoying the feeling of having him in her arms. After a few moments, Grissom pulled away slightly, brushing some strands of hair away from her face.

"So shall we go for another ride then?"

He nodded his head towards the roller coaster that was now spinning more screaming people around in circles and loops. Sara shook her head, putting her face close to Grissom's.

"Nope, I can think of something that's even more fun then that."

And with that, she pressed her lips and her body against Grissom's, making him forget the ride and the world around him.

FIN

_**Song: Safety is just danger out of place – Harry Connick Jr.**_


End file.
